The Nighthawk Chronicles
by Cyclone
Summary: Xander finds a use for that old codename... On hold.
1. 1: In the Beginning 1

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 1: In the Beginning (1?) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Xander finds a use for that old codename...

Author's Note: I'm sorry, but this plot bunny attacked me, and it was a lot easier to focus on it instead of dealing with some emotional issues that have come up IRL.

* * *

_Note to self: Using C4 on powerful magical doohickeys is definitely a bad idea._

That was the thought running through Xander's mind as he clutched his head and waited for the kaleidoscope of colors to recede. After a moment, he blinked his eyes clear and realized someone was talking to him.

He looked up and blinked, as much in disbelief as from the sudden bright light. His eyes were still adjusting from the underground temple where he was trying to bust up some semi-apocalyptic ritual.

Wait.

Eyes? Plural?

"Um, sorry, what?"

"Who are you, and how did you get in here?" Robin demanded impatiently.

He was still getting over that bit too, actually. Mainly because this wasn't Robin Wood either. The red and green suit sort of gave that away.

"Um, Xander Harris..." he said, looking around, "...and that's a really good question."

Because as far as he knew, the people standing around him were cartoon adaptations of comic book characters, not real people.

_Oh, shit. The Teen Titans, and they think I'm a bad guy. Sooo not of the good. Waitaminute..._ He frowned as he noticed something.

"...why am I sixteen years old?" he asked absent-mindedly, looking down at himself. "I haven't been sixteen in ten years."

* * *

"So, what do you think, guys?" Robin asked. "Do we trust him?" 

"I do not believe he is lying to us," Starfire ventured uncertainly.

Beast Boy grinned, "Hey, I like him."

"Only because he laughs at your jokes, BB," Cyborg grinned. "For what it's worth, I think he's telling the truth."

"He's hiding something," Raven said.

There was an uneasy silence as the Teen Titans looked at each other uncertainly.

"We're all hiding something, Raven," Robin said quietly. "If having secrets were enough for us to turn our backs on someone, there wouldn't be a Teen Titans."

"So, what do we do with him?" Cyborg asked. "If his story's true, it's not like he's got anywhere to go."

* * *

Xander tried to sort out his situation. This wasn't his world, which meant getting back home wasn't going to happen any time soon. Well, maybe with Raven's help... 

He wondered if there even was a home left. Did he actually manage to stop the ritual?

He really, really hoped so.

Xander looked up as the door opened, revealing the Teen Titans. He took a moment to take in their expressions and decided that it was good news. Robin and Raven were as unreadable as he suspected they usually were, but the other three -- particularly Beast Boy -- seemed cheerful enough.

Well, definitely not bad news, at least. Unless he was in some bizarro world version where the Titans were evil...

Better not dwell on that.

"So..." he began, "what's the verdict?"

"We believe you," Robin replied. "We'll contact the JLA and let them know of your situation. They should be able to get you home. Until then... pick out a room. We've got plenty of space in the Tower."

"Um, thanks," Xander blinked. "So... what's the rent?"

The Titans looked at each other, then back at him. It was Beast Boy who answered, "Just chip in for pizza, okay?"

"Uhh..." Xander hesitated, "...just how am I supposed to get a job when I don't legally exist here? Look, maybe I can help around. I can do repairs in the Tower, I can sharpen stakes if you ever go vampire hunting. Swords, crossbows, bows, axes, anything like that, I can make or maintain."

They stared at him.

"And if you ever need a rocket launcher fired, I'm your man?" he added tentatively, not sure what to make of their reactions.

Still more staring.

This did not look promising.

"Um, hello?"

"We'll work something out," Robin said.

* * *

Xander roundhoused the heavy punching bag, sending it rocking. He'd been in here for over an hour already, and he had worked up quite a sweat. It had been a week since he'd found himself in Titans' Tower. 

"Hey, what's up?"

Xander glanced over his shoulder and noted the four arrivals, "Oh, hey, guys." He returned to mauling the heavy bag.

"Is... something wrong?" Beast Boy asked quizzically.

The Sunnydaler snorted and turned after lashing out with one final punch at the bag, "I'm going stir-crazy here, BB. I'm going nuts not doing anything."

"But you are doing many things, Xander," Starfire protested. "The dishes, the mopping, the vacuuming..."

Xander sighed, "That's not what I mean, Star. Remember, I'm a lot older than I look."

"Hey, speaking of which, how's it feel?" Cyborg asked. "To suddenly be ten years younger again?"

"It sucks," Xander scowled, then he shrugged. "On the plus side, it's nice to have my eye back..."

"Your eye back?" Cyborg sputtered. "What happened to your first one?"

"It got plucked out by a crazy preacher working for this ultimate demonic evil that wanted to destroy the world," he replied, matter-of-factly.

Raven broke the silence, "I believe him."

"I do not understand," Starfire said. "How does being much older change the fact that you are doing many things for us?"

"As I was saying," Xander said with another sigh, "I'm a lot older than I look. Back home, I guess I'd gotten used to fighting evil. Been at it for ten years. I don't think I can just sit out now."

"You want to join," Beast Boy blinked in surprise.

Xander shrugged, "I guess I do. It's not like the League's making any real headway in getting me home. I might as well get used to the idea I might not get home."

"Fine, then let's see what you've got."

The four Titans turned to find Robin standing in the doorway.

* * *

Xander grunted as he felt another half-dozen blows slam into his ribcage, and he stumbled back. _I guess that on-the-job training isn't much compared to the Bat's protege,_ he thought. The two were sparring in private, as both had asked the other Titans to leave. 

On the other hand, Robin wasn't as certain of his victory as Xander was. "What does it take to put you down?" he demanded incredulously. He'd taken down thugs twice Xander's size in half the time.

"I've spent the last ten years getting my ass kicked by vampires, demons, and a few miscellaneous other critters," Xander shrugged. "Not one of them was less than four times as strong as a human. I guess all that on-the-job conditioning stuck."

"Great," Robin muttered sourly. With another leap, he hammered Xander with another barrage. He blinked as he felt something close around his wrist. He looked up at Xander.

"Uh, oh."

Xander grinned, tightening his grip on Robin's wrist, "My turn."

POW!

"..." (Random note: This note is only here as the only way Fanfiction(dot)Net won't automatically delete this line.)

Xander blinked.

"Robin?" Xander shook the Boy Wonder and lifted him up. "Robin, you okay?"

"Don't you leave me out of this, Bruce!" Robin suddenly roared furiously, not seeing his surroundings. "Zucco's mine!" He groaned, and his eyes crossed and rolled up in his head as he lost consciousness.

Xander blinked again.

"Umm... oops."

* * *

Xander paced anxiously, mentally berating himself for not realizing something so incredibly obvious. Like his endurance, his strength had obviously improved over the years. He had hit Robin with the same force he would have used on a vampire or demon. 

And Robin -- despite some of the things he's bounced back from -- was not that tough. Most of Robin's foes, after all, were humans used to fighting other humans.

"So, what are you going to call yourself?"

Xander turned, "Robin!"

"Hey, it'll take more than one good punch to keep me down. Two at the least. You obviously haven't been trained properly, but we can fix that. Just, uh, pull your punches from now on, okay?"

"You got it."

"Unless you're sparring with Cyborg."

* * *

Author's Postscript: 

This, if you were wondering, is the current cartoon version of the Teen Titans. Caught some episodes a while back just after something personal happened, so I sorta jumped at it and went with it.


	2. 1: In the Beginning 2

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 1: In the Beginning (2?) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Xander finds a use for that old codename...

Author's Note: And here we go!

* * *

"I wonder what he's gonna call himself," Beast Boy wondered. He and the other Teen Titans were all waiting in the operations center for Xander to reveal his costume. Only Robin -- who provided the materials -- had even the vaguest idea what Xander had planned.

When Xander finally emerged, it was obvious his costume had taken at least some cues from Robin's mentor. It consisted of a dark grey -- almost black -- body stocking. Some padding was evident in the torso, and a midnight blue cape hung from his shoulders down to around his knees. And where the cape ended, the boots began: steel-toed black leather boots that laced up the front and -- as previously mentioned -- went up to the knees.

A white patch on his left breast showing the silhouetted profile of a bird's head was one of the only two spots of brightness in the costume. A black leather belt with numerous pouches -- a utility belt -- wrapped around his waist; its oval-shaped silver belt buckle bore the same image as the patch, and a simple domino mask completed the image.

"Call me Nighthawk."

* * *

-- insert opening theme --

* * *

"So," Xander said, "whaddaya think?"

Starfire approached him, a curious frown on her face. "Your chest seems unnaturally large," she said, poking his chest. "Why is this?"

Xander -- or, rather, Nighthawk -- rapped his knuckles on his chest with a solid thump and replied, "I'm a firm believer that, when it comes to fashion design, Second Chance body armor with a chain underlayer goes well with everything."

"I still think you could do better, though," Robin said. "The cape, for instance. Kevlar-and-chain-lining is fine, but..."

"I have my reasons, Robin," Xander said. "I appreciate the offer, but the cape's not just for protection. The titanium weave you've got would get in the way. Trust me."

Raven merely raised an eyebrow.

"Dude, is that leather?" Beast Boy poked an accusatory finger at the utility belt and boots.

"Ahh..." Xander coughed.

"Just checking," Beast Boy sighed. "No sympathy whatsoever..."

* * *

The old man cackled with glee. Perfect. The school was built, Titans' Tower was properly gassed. All he needed to do now was grab the disrespectful little buggers and...

He blinked.

"Hi," the dark-clad and gas masked figure waved. "Mad Mod, right? I'm Nighthawk. I'm afraid classes have been canceled today."

WHAM!

Xander paused.

"Oh, great, now what I do with you?"

Okay, on the one hand, he'd avoided the sheer insanity Mad Mod was going to inflict on them, but on the other... hmm.

What to do?

* * *

Sergeant Morgan yawned as he left the precinct. It had been a long week, and...

He stared.

Dangling from a lamp post outside the precinct was what looked like an old man mummified in duck tape.

"Man, I thought this sorta thing only happened in Gotham."

* * *

Robin yawned and stretched as he entered the operations room, "I haven't slept that well in a long time." He blinked, "Nighthawk, what's up? And what's with the gas mask?"

Xander glanced at where the indicated item sat on the table and smiled, "Oh, nothing. Just checking to make sure the seals were in good shape."

"Oh, okay."

* * *

Xander cracked his neck as he perched on the rooftop. He was still getting used to the whole roof-hopping thing that seemed to be the preferred method of travel for this world's pure human spandex-clad elite.

He fired a grappler line and jumped, swinging over to the next roof and landing with a forward roll that immediately brought him back to his feet. He ran across the roof... and paused.

Huh. He could've sworn he heard...

There it was again.

Xander carefully peered over the edge of the abandoned warehouse he was on and looked around. Nothing.

Hmm...

After debating it for a moment, Xander attached the grappler to the roof edge and lowered himself to the ground. Something fishy was going on here...

"Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit," he muttered as he scrambled back up on the roof.

He really, really wished he had his guns from Africa. Especially the grenade launcher.

_Okay_, he thought, _don't panic. Just need to call in the other Titans, and whoever hired those HIVE grads are going to become very disappointed._

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Xander looked up and found himself looking at Jinx.

"Um, hi."

* * *

On a scale of one to ten, Xander decided, tonight sucked.

On the plus side, they hadn't captured him. On the minus side, it didn't look like they were going to give up any time soon, and Jinx had managed to hex his communicator.

All he could do now was hope he could hold out long enough for the trail of destruction to get the other Titans' attention and lead them here.

"Yipe!" he squeaked as he kicked off a nearby wall in mid-swing. One of Gizmo's rockets streaked past, narrowly missing him.

When he landed, Xander blinked.

And looked up.

And up.

And kicked Mammoth in the crotch as hard as he could. He was eternally thankful he went with steel-toed boots and made a mental note to get some pop-out blades installed.

Xander turned and dove out of the way of another attack from Gizmo -- this time, some sort of laser -- and started running again.

Finally, he ducked into a door and fought to catch his breath as he leaned against the wall, listening for pursuit.

"Hi, there."

Xander's head whipped around, and he could barely make out the girl stepping toward him. There was just enough illumination for him to recognize her as Jinx.

He eased a birdarang -- a stylistic modification on Robin's -- into his hand.

"Hmm, you know, you're kinda cute," she smiled.

Xander blinked.

And blinked again.

"What is it with me and scary evil chicks?" he muttered.

She growled, and her eyes glowed pink.

* * *

"There!" Robin pointed as the warehouse wall exploded. The Titans had found Mammoth lying in alley, clutching himself... well, Robin didn't want to think about it. A little bit of telekinesis, Tamaranian strength, and gorilla strength, and the massive HIVE graduate was restrained. Not that he was likely to go anywhere any time soon, given the whimpering, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Starfire and Raven were going after Gizmo; the lightning-fast little gadgeteer wasn't going to be an easy target.

"Titans, GO!" he called as he charged... and stopped, blinking in surprise. Beast Boy and Cyborg screeched to halt on either side of him.

"Nighthawk?" Robin called tentatively.

The newest Titan was swaying on his feet as he emerged from the dust cloud, Jinx slung over his shoulder. There wasn't a mark visible on the pink-haired witch, whereas Nighthawk looked like he'd just gone twenty rounds with a Kryptonian.

"Piece of advice," Nighthawk said. "Jinx gets really nasty if you piss her off."

* * *

"Kill. Me. Now."

"You should be proud, Nighthawk," Robin said from his position leaning against the Tower's infirmary wall. "You managed to take out both Mammoth and Jinx single-handedly."

"Yeah, man, that's pretty kickass," Beast Boy grinned at him, perched at the foot of Xander's bed. "The rest of us couldn't even take one of them down when we first fought 'em."

Xander glared at them. "Yeah, but they were there for a reason, guys. You said you didn't find anything at the warehouse I first saw them at? Nothing at all?"

"There was nothing there," Starfire said. "There were signs of a hasty departure, but otherwise, there was nothing."

"Figures," Xander muttered. "I get the snot beat out of me, and we've got nothing to show for it."

"Hey," Robin interjected, "you brought down Mammoth and Jinx. I wouldn't call that 'nothing.'"

"Yes," Starfire added, "and Raven and I managed to defeat Gizmo."

"Maybe," Xander scowled, "but as dangerous as they are, they're just hired muscle."

The other Titans present exchanged glances.

"Get well soon," Robin said as he and Starfire turned to leave.

"Yeah," Beast Boy added. "Your initiation's long overdue."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

And as for why Xander could take those two down... well, I think that's obvious from the Mammoth scene. He fights dirty. Very dirty.

Also, for those who might not quite remember, it was revealed in Dead Man's Party that Xander was using the codename Nighthawk during the summer between seasons two and three.


	3. 1: In the Beginning 3

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 1: In the Beginning (3/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Xander finds a use for that old codename...

Author's Note: And here we go!

* * *

"Nighthawk."

Xander blinked blearily at Robin, "What?"

"Can you stand?"

Xander frowned and carefully pulled himself off the infirmary bed and to his feet, "Why? What's up?"

"Just got word from the police. Jinx wants to talk to you."

* * *

It was with more than a little trepidation that Nighthawk entered the interrogation room the police had provided. He was glad he had Robin backing him up. As he entered, the pink-haired witch looked up and beamed at him.

Xander wasn't sure whether he should be glad or not that the smile seemed genuine, yet lacked any trace of malice or sadism in it.

"Hey, handsome," she said, tilting her head.

That, as far as Xander was concerned, was not a good sign.

"Yeah, yeah," he said brusquely. "You said you wanted to talk to me?"

Jinx rose and walked... no, slinked over to him, "Just thought you might like to know who hired us... and where we were supposed to meet them after we took care of you."

"I'm listening."

"Uh uh," she said, waving a finger at him. "Not that easy, cutie."

Xander sighed, "What do you want?"

"Ohh, not much..." she said, leaning against him and tracing her finger lazily across his chest. She looked up at him with a set of puppy dog eyes that Dawn would have been proud of, "Maybe... a kiss?"

Xander looked at Robin, his eyes pleading for a rescue, but the Boy Wonder merely winked, smiled, gave a thumbs up, and said, "Pucker up. I think it's worth it."

_Of course you do_, Xander thought sourly. He looked down at Jinx, who was looking at him expectantly, and suppressing another sigh, he closed his eyes and leaned his head down.

Time passed...

More time passed...

"Uh, Jinx?" Robin tapped her on the shoulder. "You might wanna let up. I think he's running out of air."

The witch pulled back and grinned, "See you again, sometime."

"Um... yeah... sure..." Xander muttered as he tried to get his brain working again.

"It's a date!"

"Urk."

"Not meaning to interrupt you two lovebirds," Robin deadpanned, "but I think you owe us some information now."

"Oh, right, of course."

Xander was torn between glaring at the Boy Wonder and thanking him.

* * *

"Man, that never gets old," Robin chuckled as they left the police station. This was even funnier than all those times Catwoman made an appearance back in Gotham. Nighthawk was nowhere near as good as Bruce at hiding his emotions.

"Yuk it up, birdbrain," Xander muttered under his breath, glaring at Robin. "It'll be your turn soon enough."

* * *

"Beast Boy, recon," Xander murmured.

"Huh? Oh, right," the green-skinned shapeshifter seemed to vanished as he transformed into some sort of insect; Xander didn't get a good look.

Robin nodded, "Cyborg, scanners."

"You got it," Cyborg replied. After a moment, he said, "I'm reading eight heat signatures, but they're at least ten degrees higher than normal."

"Hmm..." Xander frowned as a suspicion started to form in his head.

A moment later, Beast Boy returned, "Guys, I don't know what they are, but they definitely aren't human."

"What do you mean?" Robin asked.

"They had these funky-looking ridges on their arms and scaly blue skin, for one thing," Beast Boy replied. "I think I even saw a ring of horns on one guy's head, but I couldn't be sure. They were all wearing these hooded cloaks."

"Serrakin demons."

"Serrakin demons?" Raven raised an eyebrow as the other Titans turned to look at Xander.

He nodded, "I think we're dealing with serrakin demons. I was fighting a pack of them that was trying to suck my world into hell when I wound up here."

"What can you tell us about them?" Robin asked.

"They're about six times as strong as a human, their skin's tough enough to stop small-caliber bullets and most blades, and they have retractable serrated bone blades lining the outside of their forearms and extending past the elbows. Oh, and watch out for the acidic snot."

"Acidic snot?" Beast Boy repeated incredulously.

"Lets just say it's a good thing they don't catch colds," Xander said as he pulled out something he knew from experience he would need.

"Uhh... brass knuckles?" Cyborg blinked at Xander's hands.

Xander blinked right back, then scowled, "What is it with you guys? Just 'cause you can buy something over the counter doesn't mean it won't work."

"You sure you're up to this, Nighthawk?" Robin asked cautiously. "You're still hurt from that fight with Mammoth, Gizmo, and Jinx earlier."

"Mostly Jinx, actually," Xander muttered. He looked up at Robin, "I'll be fine. I'm tougher than I look."

* * *

"Titans, GO!"

All in all, the battle started off well. Xander made a mental note to get himself a good axe as soon as possible, though where he'd keep it was beyond him. It's not like they were very discreet.

As he absent-mindedly snapped the neck of his second opponent and sought a new target, he suddenly found himself flying.

"Th' hell?"

"You. Watcher."

"Recognize me, huh?" Xander grinned at the leader. _Great. A mage._

"You will not stop us, Watcher. We will return to the glorious hellworld our brothers surely finished creating in our absence... and yours. Only one of your little slayers still breathed when we were transported here. She alone would not have been able to stop them. Victory is ours."

"Maybe, but you won't be around to celebrate it," Xander charged, only to be magically flung back again. He looked around and finally up, "Raven! I could use a hand here!"

WHAM!

"Urgh..."

What was wrong with her? Why wasn't she fighting? Why was she just staring at him?

_Oh, shit_, Xander thought as he closed with the wall again. He'd forgotten one tiny little detail about the serrakin, one that wouldn't have made a difference if it hadn't been for Raven's peculiar parentage.

The serrakin had four eyes.

The shock of that was probably what had her frozen in place. But why was she staring at him?

Well, it looked like he was on his own for this. The other four Titans were too busy with their own opponents -- looked like Cyborg got sneezed on too -- and Raven wasn't responding.

So he did what he did best. He charged. And once again made a mental note to get a new axe.

The serrakin mage hurled a blast of energy at him, but this time, he was ready. Xander dodged to the side and swung his cape at the mage. The weighted bottom end of the cape smashed into the mage's face, sending him flying.

Xander dropped to one knee and looked around. This was not a good time for the adrenaline high to start running out. Cyborg seemed to have his opponent pinned, and he was wailing on the demon with the melted stump of his sonic cannon arm. Starfire was diving for her target like a Stuka, and Robin was still dancing with his foe, while Beast Boy was... in gorilla form, jumping up and down on his opponent?

Swaying a little, he pulled himself to his feet, hissing under his breath as every bruise and scrape made itself known. Xander cautiously approached, but it looked like the mage was still stunned. He swung the cape around over his head a couple of times before bringing it crashing down.

Raven couldn't bring herself to help Nighthawk. She could only watch in silent, frozen horror. The four eyes were surprising, but she had little sympathy for them, even if they might be relatives.

No, what had her rooted to her place in the air was how Nighthawk fought. There wasn't a moment of hesitation in his movement, not a trace of mercy in him as he killed two within minutes of the fight's start. He didn't even seem to really be paying attention as he snapped the neck of the second one, but she was. And in her mind's eye, she wondered how he'd react if he knew what she had locked up inside her.

Wait. Nighthawk had just killed his third. Each of the other four Titans was engaged in battle with one. But hadn't Cyborg said there were eight?

There! Raven snapped out of her reverie as she merged with her soul-self and pursued the fleeing serrakin demon.

"Stop right there," she said coolly as she took physical form again in the alley, blocking the demon's escape route.

The demon blinked and looked at her in confusion. Hey, he recognized her. Wasn't she in a comic book or cartoon series or something? "Trigon's daughter," he murmured.

Raven gasped.

The demon's eyes widened. Now he remembered what she was supposed to be able to do. He turned and ran...

Shink!

...and seemed to grow a blade from his chest. He blinked for a moment, then fell on his back.

Xander bent over and withdrew his blade from the demon's chest. Nothing like a good silver plating to pierce certain demonic defenses.

"You keep throwing blades in your boots?"

He looked back at Robin in surprise, "Don't you?"

"Not blades. Why'd you kill them?"

Nighthawk's answer gave them all something to think about: "Serrakin demons don't have souls, Robin. They have no conscience. They are literally soulless monsters incapable on a metaphysical level of being rehabilitated. They won't stop trying to get home, and they won't care if this world gets destroyed in the process."

_Soulless monsters_, Raven frowned. _So... what does that make me?_

* * *

"Hey, Nighthawk!"

Xander looked at his room door, which was now open, and raised an eyebrow. He noted the wig, the dress, and the rubber chicken that the Titans were carrying.

"Oh, no."

"Time for your initiation."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

And now, the stage is set.


	4. 2: Joyride

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 2: Joyride (1/1) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Car Trouble for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: When Cyborg's beloved new T-Car inevitably gets stolen, Nighthawk's plans to track it down go awry.

Author's Note: This is essentially the altered equivalent of Car Trouble. A lot of the lines will be recycled from the actual episode until it diverges enough.

* * *

Xander stifled a yawn as he trailed behind the other Titans as they all followed Cyborg downstairs. Whatever Cyborg had concocted had to be pretty major, since he usually didn't show off the various upgrades and prototypes he created. 

Not that Cyborg was as much of a tinkerer as some other characters that probably existed in this world.

"Drum roll, please!"

Beast Boy shifted forms into... Xander wasn't quite sure what, exactly, but he was able to provide the requested drum roll.

"Ladies and gentlemen... and whatever Beast Boy is...

"Hey, Cyborg," Beast Boy retorted after reverting to human form. "You want a drum roll or not?"

"Sorry. It is my great pleasure to present, for the first time anywhere, the thing you've all been waiting for, my coolest, hottest, baddest creation..."

"Just get on with it," Raven said. Xander nodded in agreement. He wanted to get some more shuteye.

"I give you the future of Titans transportation, the one, the only..." Cyborg yanked the tarp away, "...T-CAR!"

That got Xander's attention. He remembered this episode... and if he remembered right, he wasn't going to be getting any more sleep any time soon.

Great.

_Let's see..._ Xander thought as he ignored the other Titans -- sans Raven -- gushing over the new vehicle. _This means Overload's going to attack, and Cyborg's car's gonna get stolen by those two joyriders... but with Gizmo in jail... hmm..._

Well, he'd figure that out later. After he'd woken up a bit more.

"Can we go now?" Raven asked.

"You bet, Raven," Cyborg grinned. "I'll take you any place you want to go."

"The beach!" Beast Boy cried.

"The movies!" got Robin's vote.

"The swamp moons of Drenthax Four!" Starfire called.

"My home dimension!" Xander chimed in at the same time.

Starfire blushed, and Xander shot her a knowing look.

"He said 'any place,'" Starfire said, Xander chorusing with her.  
"Trouble!" Robin called.

"I'll drive!" Cyborg announced from the T-Car's driver seat.

Xander blinked. How did he get in the T-Car that quickly...?

"Thank you, Nighthawk."

He blinked at Starfire, "Huh? For what?"

"You... you helped me keep from looking very stupid."

"Not stupid, Star," Xander shook his head. "Just... naive. You've got a lot to learn about Earth, and we all know that."

"Perhaps, but I would have been no less embarrassed. Thank you."

"Any time," he smiled. "Now, c'mon, let's get moving."

* * *

Xander struggled to ignore the chaos around him... as he suspected Robin was as well. He wasn't sure, but it almost sounded like Raven was trying to annoy Cyborg. 

Well, whatever. That wasn't important. With a surreptitious shift, he dropped a tracking beacon. Unless Cyborg had built jammers into the thing, he should be able to track it down, no muss, no fuss.

"All right, y'all, hang on," Cyborg announced. "Time to kick my baby into high gear and see what she can..."

"There!" Robin interrupted. "Stop the car!"

"Oh, man..." Cyborg muttered in disappointment as he pulled over.

* * *

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" Raven telekinetically hurled several of the store's merchandise at Overload, but it only seemed to feed the electrical entity. 

"Nighthawk!" Robin called. Overload was proving more difficult than he'd anticipated. He looked around, "Nighthawk?"

"Right here!" the newest Titan replied, stepping out from around a corner, toting a fire hose.

"What the...?"

"Trust me," Nighthawk replied, turning the hose on and focusing the spray on Overload.

Before their eyes, Overload began to shrink.

"Good idea," Robin said. "Titans! Soak him!"

* * *

As Xander had expected, the T-Car was stolen when they emerged, much to Cyborg's distress. 

"We'll help you find your car, I promise," Robin said. "But right now, we've gotta take Overload to jail. Nighthawk..." he turned, "Nighthawk?"

* * *

_Crash Alley, huh?_ Xander thought as he swung down. _That sounds about right._

He ghosted to the T-Car and two car thieves and solidly placed a hand on each one's shoulder. "Hi. Nice job with the paint -- the flames really are a nice touch -- but your little joyride ends here."

They jumped.

"It's... it's..." one of them stammered. "Oh, it's not Batman."

Xander blinked. And blinked. And groaned. "Oh, God. This is going to be a recurring theme, isn't it?" he muttered as he shook his head in annoyance.

"There he is!"

"Nighthawk!"

Xander blinked again, "Huh?" He turned. Who the heck would recognize him?

About a dozen thugs. Okay, he'd faced worse odds... sort of. Of course, he had a slayer backing him up then. On the other hand, those were vampires too, and these guys looked human.

He shifted into a combat stance, "Come get some."

* * *

Cyborg stalked into Crash Alley. He'd picked up a lead from some kid who'd seen the thieves. He was still fuming about what else he'd heard. What nerve! He couldn't believe they'd had the gall to paint his car. 

WHAM!

He looked down and blinked, "Nighthawk?"

"Um, hi," Nighthawk waved. "Tracked the T-Car here, but my, ah, friends here kinda sidetracked me."

He got up and dusted himself off.

"You look like hell."

"That's about how I feel. I could use a hand here," he gestured at the six or so remaining goons.

"Gladly," Cyborg growled as he powered up his sonic cannon. Nighthawk drew several throwing blades.

The following scene has been removed due to its extreme graphic content.

WHAM!

CRACK!

CRUNCH!

SHINK!

"Well, now, that wasn't so tough," Cyborg said, dusting his hands off. He looked around, "Now where's my baby?"

"In a minute," Nighthawk said, picking up one of the thugs. "Okay, pal, what's the big idea?"

The man swallowed hard, "Some old guy hired us ta take you out."

"'Old guy'?" Nighthawk asked.

"Yeah, he had kind of a funny accent."

"Did he, now?"

"That's all I know, I swear!"

Nighthawk cuffed the thug to a nearby drainpipe and started walking. "The T-Car's just around the... oh, hell. They must've scrammed while I was busy with those goons."

"Where... is my baby?" Cyborg ground out.

"Don't worry. I put a tracking beacon on it."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's move!"

* * *

Xander led the way... and stopped. It was a diner parking lot, and he saw the T-Car and... 

"Raven?" Xander blinked again. He noted Cyborg making a beeline for the T-Car, probably to look it over.

Raven turned from the two people she was currently levitating, "Oh, hi."

Xander gave a start as he recognized them as the two car thieves, "So... what are you doing here?"

"Looking for the T-Car. Found it."

"SWEET!" Cyborg suddenly engulfed her in a bear hug and swung her around. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"You're welcome." Raven looked at Xander, "And where were you?"

"Looking for the T-Car," Xander shrugged. "Same as you. I'd dropped a tracking beacon in it, and... well... looks like you beat me to it."

"I see."

* * *

Author's Postscript: 

Nothing special here. Just filler, really, just like the episode it was based on.

Next time, things kick into high gear as the Titans' newest member finally meets... Slade.


	5. 3: Apprenticeship

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 3: Apprenticeship (1/1) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Apprentice for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Things kick into high gear as the Titans' newest member finally meets... Slade.

Author's Note: This is where things get interesting.

* * *

Raven gasped for air as she ran, but she couldn't stop.

She dared not stop.

Her pursuer didn't even seem to be running, his footfalls sounding at a leisurely pace, but even running flat out, she couldn't seem to lose him.

The corridor she was in was dark, and shadows flickered everywhere. Forks and turns turned it into a nightmare-ish labyrinth, and try as she might, she could find no way out.

Suddenly, found herself in a dead end. She spun and watched the figure approach.

"Who are you!" she demanded. "Slade?" she guessed.

"No," came an eerily familiar voice. "No, Raven, not Slade." He stepped out of the shadows.

"No..." she shook her head in denial.

"Did you really think you could hide what you are from me?" Nighthawk asked.

* * *

"NOOO!" Raven bolted upright. She blinked as she fought to catch her breath.

_A dream,_ she thought. _Just a dream._

She looked up as an alert sounded.

_Now what?_

_

* * *

_

Synchronized yawning came from both Nighthawk and Beast Boy.

"Man, what's a guy gotta do to get a good night's sleep around here?" Nighthawk complained.

"Good morning, Teen Titans. I do hope I didn't wake you."

Xander's eyes widened as he recognized the man on the screen: Slade.

"What are you, an insomniac?" Beast Boy asked. "Who calls at five in the morning?"

"What do you want?" Robin asked.

"Well, that's precisely what you've been trying to find out, isn't it?" Slade taunted. "And in spite of all your efforts, you're still in the dark about my intentions. Disappointing, Robin. I expected a little more from you."

"Like I care what you-..."

"But since you've been unable to discover my plan," Slade interrupted, "I suppose I'll just have to reveal it myself."

Xander watched as Slade revealed a large, tarp-covered object behind him.

"I'm sure you're all familiar with the concept of a chronoton detonator," Slade said as his minions withdrew the tarp.

"No!" Cyborg said.

Starfire gasped.

"Uh, oh," Raven said.

Xander nodded. Oh, no, he wasn't likely to forget this, though Raven seemed a bit off this morning.

"No way!" Beast Boy blurted out. He paused and turned to Starfire. "Um, what's a crouton detonator?"

"It eradicates all chronotons within a localized area, utterly destroying the temporal component of the space-time continuum."

"Hmm?"

"It stops time," Raven clarified. "Permanently."

"Ahh!" Beast Boy collapsed.

"If he triggers that thing downtown, it'll freeze-frame the entire city," Cyborg said.

"Tell me where!" Robin demanded.

"You're a clever boy, Robin," Slade replied. "I'm sure you and your little friends can figure it out." He held up a transmitter, "However, since I control the detonation, time is not on your side."

Robin slammed his fist into the console in frustration as the transmission ended. "Fan out! Find it! Shut it down!"

Beast Boy and Cyborg moved to block Robin's departure.

"Hey, uh, maybe you should stay here and coordinate the search," Beast Boy suggested.

"What's with Rob?" Xander asked Raven quietly. It would've been a little suspicious if he didn't ask.

Raven started, "Um, i-i-it's Slade. Robin... tends to act irrationally when Slade's involved. Excuse me." She turned to the computer, and Xander blinked at her.

What was that all about? When did Raven turn into Tara?

Across the room, Cyborg was talking to Robin, "Man, when it comes to Slade, you've got issues. Might be better for the team if you sit this one out."

"No," he stormed past Cyborg and Beast Boy. "There's too much at stake for me to-..."

"Robin..." Starfire called out. He stopped, and she spoke again, "We have not forgotten the last time you faced-..."

"I made a mistake, Starfire. It won't happen again." He started out again, "I can handle it. I promise."

"Would you at least like to know where to look?" Raven asked. Once she'd gotten everyone's attention, she continued, "Slade gave us more information than he realized." She zoomed in. "Here, in this reflection."

"Ooh, squiggly lines," Beast Boy deadpanned. "Way informative.

Raven tapped in a few more commands, and the image resolved.

"Pier Forty-One!" Starfire read.

"The docks!" Robin said.

"You guys go on ahead," Xander said.

The Titans turned, and Cyborg asked, "What?"

"Whatever this 'Slade' guy has planned, I doubt he intends to freeze himself. I'll stay here and... try and figure out his escape route."

"Good idea," Robin nodded. "We can't let him get away this time."

* * *

"All right," Xander murmured as he watched Robin's tracking beacon settle in place. "Perfect."

He rose to his feet and headed out.

* * *

"Nanoscopic probes," Slade said, explaining the monitors. "The chronoton detonator was merely the bait for a much larger trap." A transmitter flicked out from under his sleeve. "You see, with the push of a button, my probes will destroy your friends from the inside out."

"You can't control them," Robin said. "No matter what you threaten, they'll never obey you."

"This isn't about your friends, Robin. It's about you. It's always been about you."

"What?"

"Sending trouble your way. Leaving cryptic clues for you to unravel. I was testing you. For some time now, I have been searching for an apprentice. Someone to follow in my footsteps." He leaned in to Robin's face, "And Robin, I've chosen you. Congratulations."

"No way would I ever work for-..." he trailed off as Slade held up the transmitter, his thumb just barely clearing it the button.

"If you join me, if you swear to serve me, if you never speak to your friends again, I will allow them to live. But... if you disobey even the smallest request, I will annihilate them, Robin. And I'll make you watch. So, do we have a deal?"

Robin shuddered, and after a long moment, he spoke, "There's still someone left who can stop you." It was small, pitiful little act of defiance, and Robin knew it, but in the face of this, it was all he had.

"Ah, yes," Slade nodded. "Your new recruit, Nighthawk. Where is that little errand boy, anyway?"

Shink!

Sparks flew from the transmitter in Slade's hand. A throwing blade was embedded in it.

"Right here," Nighthawk answered as he dropped out of the shadows into a crouch on the floor. "And Robin, for future reference, it's a bad idea to tell the bad guy what he's forgetting."

"You destroyed the controller," Slade noted. "Impressive."

Nighthawk rose, "Not really. I was hoping to pin your hand to the wall."

"Ambitious, too."

"No one messes with my friends," Nighthawk said, "not even you... Deathstroke the Terminator."

Drawing on his comic knowledge was a gamble, and Xander knew it. He just hoped it was accurate... and that it would be enough to throw Slade off his game.

"Well, well, well," Slade murmured, intrigued. "I haven't heard that name in a long time, boy. What do you know about me?"

"A lot of things," Xander replied. "Your name is Slade Wilson. You are -- or were -- a mercenary. You're deadly in hand to hand. You're brilliant, maybe even smarter than Batman."

_Oh, hell,_ he thought. _Might as well go for broke._

"And you're usually not careless enough to dismiss an unknown factor like me. What's the matter? Getting too old, desperate to make sure you don't keel over before you finish teaching your successor?"

"My, my, you are well-informed," Slade said, seemingly unfazed. "And yet... you never shared any of this with any of your friends. How... fascinating. I underestimated you, Nighthawk. A mistake I won't repeat."

"Yeah... well..." Xander said, "there's one other thing I know about you, the most important thing."

"Oh?"

"I know you're human..."

BLAM! BLAM!

"...and that means you're not bulletproof."

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Ting ting! Ting ting ting ting!

Slade blocked the .45 slugs with his arm guards, "Perhaps not, but I don't need to be."

He suddenly dashed forward before Xander could react, and with a swift kick, he sent the Colt flying. Beneath his mask, he smiled.

"Let's see how you do up close."

_Uh, oh._

Slade launched into a furious assault, sending Xander dancing back to stay intact, and as he started going faster and faster, Xander found it harder and harder to avoid his blows.

_Can't keep this up forever,_ Xander thought and went on the offensive, using every trick he could remember. Slade easily deflected his first punch, and the second missed by mere inches.

"Simple," Slade commented.

Xander dropped and brought his leg around, but Slade jumped over the leg sweep and backed away from the uppercut that followed.

"Brutal," Slade nodded.

He lashed out with a high kick, but Slade caught his ankle, stopping it inches from connecting with the side of his head.

"Efficient," Slade finished, hitting Xander in the chest with an open palm strike that sent him flying. "I'm impressed. Your technique could use some work, though."

_He's testing me!_ Xander thought. _All right. Fine. You wanna know what I can do? I'll show you!_

With that thought in mind, Xander charged. Ten years of fighting the darkness, instincts from a beast he'd rather not think about, and training he'd never been through... all of it slowly resurfaced as he threw everything he had against Slade... and then some.

Slade caught the double-axe-handle and looked at him curiously, "Now where did someone your age get special forces training?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Xander snarked. He kicked at Slade again, then suddenly tried to regain his balance as Slade yanked his arms around and hurled him across the room.

Xander hissed as pain shot through his side. He reflexively reached down with his left hand and felt warm liquid and sharp metal in his right side. Some of the junk lying around must've cut him open. After carefully extracting the shrapnel, he looked around and spotted a ladder leading to a catwalk above.

He glanced back at Slade and flung a pair of throwing blades from his boots, then scrambled up the ladder.

It might at least buy him enough time to bind the wound.

And where the hell was Robin?

Xander's gaze swept across the room, and he saw Robin duking it out with some of Slade's minions.

_Well, that answers one question. I guess Slade wasn't as confident as he made himself out to be._

The catwalk trembled. Xander rose and spun to face Slade. The cut would have to wait. He lunged.

Slade backed away, easily deflecting and dodging his punches and kicks. The two suddenly froze after he blocked an overhand strike.

"Interesting," Slade murmured. "A wooden stake, hmm? Very interesting."

Xander blinked. He hadn't even realized he'd drawn the weapon.

Suddenly, Slade shoved him back, and the younger man stumbled, dropping his stake and clinging to the catwalk's railing. He blinked and tried to shake his head clear even as Slade hauled him off his feet and swung him over the railing.

Xander looked down. Scrap. Sharp, pointy, metal scrap.

"You're quite good, but not good enough," Slade said.

"Screw you, asshole. Ungh!" Xander doubled over from the punch to his gut Slade had just delivered. He fought to catch his breath even as his left hand reached for the back of his right glove.

He straightened up and shoved the derringer into Slade's chest.

"Block this!"

BLAM! BLAM!

"Shit!" Xander swore as he fell. He dropped the gun and grabbed for the railing and caught one of the support struts with his right hand. "ARGH!" he cried out as he felt his shoulder dislocate.

Xander ground his teeth as he grabbed the railing with his left hand. His right hand dropped limply to his side. His breathing was now coming in short pants as he tried -- and failed -- to pull himself up.

"Shit," he swore again. His gloves, slick with his own blood, simply didn't have the traction. Slowly but surely, his grip was slipping.

As he lost his grip completely, he felt his stomach lurch from the sudden -- and abbreviated -- drop as a strong hand gripped his forearm. He looked up in confusion.

"You intrigue me, boy," Slade said. "Perhaps we'll meet again." He pulled him up and left him on the catwalk.

Xander grunted as he tried to pop his shoulder back into place. He carefully ran through the last few minutes in his head. He knew Slade's body armor wasn't that good.

He saw him bleed when he shot him. Slade had taken two forty-four slugs to the chest at point-blank range and come back practically unhurt.

"Nighthawk!"

"Robin..." Xander looked up and jerked his head over.

"You're hurt."

"I've had worse."

"And Slade?"

Xander closed his eyes and hung his head, "He got away." He looked up, "And apparently, he regenerates. Really fast."

* * *

"Hey, guys," Xander said as he and Robin entered the operations room.

"We got your message," Cyborg said. "We got rid of the nanoprobes."

Robin looked at Xander, "Message? What message?"

"He left a message for us before he left," Cyborg replied.

"'Before'...?" Robin turned to Xander. "How did you know? And how did you know all that stuff about Slade?"

Xander sighed, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try us," Robin said.

"Okay, it's like this..." Xander said, and he began to explain.

To explain how they and their world and everyone they knew... was a comic book and a cartoon.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Wow. Two updates in one week. Of course, half of this installment has been written for weeks...

Expect the next installment to be out in about a week.


	6. 4: Reckoning

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 4: Reckoning (1/1) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Apprentice for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Injured and beaten, Nighthawk refuses to give up until he finds Slade.

Author's Note: And here we go again. As a side note, I've been very bad about forgetting to give credit, so here's to Yorath, who's been my beta reader for nearly every 'fic I've written for many many moons.

* * *

Slade Wilson, once known as Deathstroke the Terminator, studied the computer screen. He had initially dismissed Nighthawk as a potential threat; no previous record matched him, and it was his belief that no one who would be any threat to him would've been able to stay under the radar all their lives. 

Apparently, he was going to have to reconsider that assessment.

"Curiouser and curiouser," he murmured. "Who are you, Nighthawk, and why can't I find you? Someone of your skills... not even the blackest ops can ghost someone this well." He leaned back, "Whoever you are, you're very good."

Beneath his mask, Slade smiled, "Excellent. The game's turned up a notch, and I do so miss the challenge... assuming, of course, you're even from this planet."

Nighthawk obviously wasn't Kryptonian or Thanagarian. Martian was possible, though highly unlikely in Slade's estimation for a variety of reasons.

Not that that would entirely explain Nighthawk's hidden past. Slade recognized his fighting style. While it had a few elements he couldn't pin down, it was the highly efficient -- if somewhat less versatile -- fighting style taught to the U.S. and other western military special forces.

Which meant whoever taught him to fight was military. Western special forces military.

Nighthawk was a puzzle to Slade, one he intended to solve.

And, perhaps, more...

* * *

"Cyborg," Xander asked, "you still working on the new bike for me?" 

"Actually," Cyborg replied, "it's just about done. Finished it last night."

"How hard will it be to modify it?"

"Depends on the modifications."

"Here," Xander shoved a stack of papers in his hands.

Cyborg stared at the schematics and looked up, "You want me to put WHAT on the N-Cycle!"

"It's all right there. Drew it up last night," Xander said. "Can you do it?"

"Well... yeah, but..."

"Good," Xander turned and walked away. "I'll be in the training room if anyone needs me."

Cyborg glanced back at the schematics. "Man," he muttered, shaking his head, "it must've taken him all night to do these."

* * *

Thump thump thump. 

Thump.

Thump thump.

Xander grunted as he continued to pound on the punching bag.

"Nighthawk?"

"Not now," he said, setting up for another punishing combo.

Thump thump thump thump.

"You should be in bed," Raven said. "We're all worried about you."

Xander looked at her and snorted, "And what? You drew the short straw? Since I told you about my otherworld knowledge, all of you have been edgy around me; don't think I haven't noticed. Slade saved my life, Raven; he wants me for something. I have to be ready." He turned back to the heavy bag.

"And so because Slade saved it, you want to throw it away? You've been in here for four hours. You'll-..."

"Back off!" he snarled, whirling around.

"Nighthawk..."

"INCENDERE!" he spat, flinging his arm out.

Raven gasped and stepped back.

"I said... 'Back off.'"

"I'm just trying to help."

"I don't NEED your help!"

"No, I suppose you don't," Raven agreed acidly, glowering at him. She turned and left.

Xander sighed and slumped against the wall, closing his eyes as he got himself under control.

"Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid."

* * *

"Maybe we should call him Firehawk," Raven suggested as she joined the waiting Titans. 

"'Firehawk'?" Robin asked in confusion. "Why? What happened?"

"He just threw a bolt of flame at me."

"He what!" Cyborg stared.

"Illusionary flame," Raven clarified, "but very convincing. If it had been anyone else, we'd probably be treating psychosomatic burns right now."

Robin's eyes narrowed, "Beast Boy, Cyborg, come on. Illusion or not, we can't have him throwing fireballs at our teammates."

They nodded, and together, the three of them marched toward the gym.

"Nighthawk!" Robin called as he threw the doors open... then stepped back in surprise.

Nighthawk lay on the floor, a small pool of blood slowly growing beneath him.

* * *

"How is Nighthawk faring?" Starfire asked anxiously. 

"He'll be fine," Robin said. "He just needs to rest," he added, glaring at the bedridden Titan meaningfully.

Suddenly, Cyborg ran up, "Yo! We gotta go! Gizmo and Mammoth are hittin' First National!"

Robin rose, "I thought they were still in prison?"

"Yeah, well," Cyborg shrug, "think again."

* * *

"C'mon, snot-heads, is that the best you got?" Gizmo taunted as he flew off, laden down with cash. 

"Starfire, Raven, take him down!"

"Not this time, barf-brains!" Gizmo crowed as he dodged flurry of starbolts and dove into a nearby construction site, the building's latticework of I-beams providing a deadly obstacle course.

Meanwhile, Mammoth grinned as he sent Cyborg flying into a wall. The gigantic metahuman turned and caught the tusks of the charging, elephant-shaped Beast Boy.

Elsewhere, another person watched the fight. "C'mon," the observer urged quietly, "where are you?"

Her gaze swept over to the distant Titans' Tower.

"Hmm..."

* * *

Xander's eyes fluttered open. "Who's there?" 

"Hey, handsome," came the reply as she hesitantly approached his bed.

"Jinx!" he tried to pull himself up.

"Hey, hey, hey!" she put a hand on his chest, gently pushing him back down. "Don't hurt yourself on my account."

"How did you get in here?"

"Window was open. What happened to you?"

Xander looked at her, but it didn't look like she was here for a fight... not that she'd get much of one if she was. Finally, he sighed and allowed himself to slump back, "A close encounter of the Slade kind."

Jinx frowned, "Slade did this?"

"Yeah," Xander said. "Why?"

She didn't answer, instead stroking his cheek and saying, "Yeah, well, you take care, huh? And don't worry about Slade."

After she left, Xander thought about that.

"Oh, shit. She's gonna get herself killed."

* * *

Jinx flew over the city. 

And she was PISSED.

She'd felt a... connection with Nighthawk when they'd kissed. She wasn't sure what it was, but she wasn't about to let anyone stop her from finding out.

Not even Slade.

But first, she had to find him.

* * *

Jinx landed and looked around. It had taken her far too long in her opinion to pry this address from the closed mouths on the street. The place looked abandoned, but that was to be expected. Slade wasn't stupid enough to advertise his presence. 

She debated just hexing the entire damn building... but no. She wanted him to bleed. After a moment, she found an entrance and carefully stepped into the foreboding darkness.

"Hi."

She whirled and gasped, "You."

* * *

"Man, we kicked so much ass!" Beast Boy grinned as the Titans returned to the Tower. "That'll teach 'em to mess with us." 

"Don't be too sure about that," Robin shook his head. "Something's wrong here. Where was Jinx?"

"Apparently, right here," Cyborg said gravely as he picked up a slip of paper.

Robin read the note... then crumpled it, tossed it over his shoulder, and stalked off, "I don't believe this."

Starfire caught the note and unraveled it, then passed it to Raven and Beast Boy. "I do not understand. Why would he help Jinx?"

Raven crossed her arms, "Beats me. I say, let her take on Slade. Either way, we win."

"Yeah," Beast Boy added. "Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky, and they'll take each other out."

Robin turned, "Maybe, but we've still gotta find Nighthawk. He's in no condition to face either of them by himself."

* * *

"Figured you'd find your way here if you were looking for Slade," Xander said, leaning casually against the wall, arms folded. "This is where we fought." 

"What are you doing here?" Jinx asked.

"Stopping you from doing something incredibly stupid," he replied coolly. "Slade could easily take on any one of the Titans, Jinx."

"Then I guess I'm lucky I'm not a Titan," she sneered.

"I'm serious, Jinx!" he snapped. "You'll get yourself killed if you go after him."

"Like you almost did?"

He looked down and nodded. "Yeah," he said quietly. "Exactly. For some reason, he wants me alive, Jinx. I doubt you can say the same. You can't take on Slade alone."

"Then maybe we can take him on together."

* * *

"Professor Chang." 

The underworld supplier of exotic items looked up from the thermal blaster he was tinkering with, "Ahh, Jinx. What brings you here? I do not see your partner. He's my best customer."

"I'm not here with Gizmo this time. I'm here for information."

"Oh really? What sort of information?"

"Slade."

"Ohhh, no. That... is not for sale."

Before Chang could react, Jinx hexed the thermal blaster, and it exploded, shattering the windows of the abandoned warehouse he had set himself up in. Leaning in close, she snarled, "I'm not buying."

"No, you can't!" he shook his head. "He'll kill me."

Crunch.

They turned. Nighthawk stood in the doorway, shattered glass crushed underfoot. His arm flashed, and Chang flinched, closing his eyes as something hit him in the chest.

After a moment, Chang peeked and blinked at the large wad of cash on his chest.

"Start talking," Nighthawk said, "and you'll get double that. That's plenty enough to buy your way some place even Slade can't reach."

"Very well. He's at the old Saint Stephen's Cathedral. Set himself up a nice little nest there. But you'd better move quickly. I don't think he intends to stay there for long."

"Let's go," Jinx said.

Xander watched her go and shook his head, "After that fiasco with Faith, I oughtta know better than this. So... why am I helping her again?"

After a long moment, he sighed, "Because, in the end, she's doing this for me, and I guess that's kinda sweet. In a disturbing, somewhat psychotic way." He shook his head again as he followed, pausing as he spotted something that might come in handy later, "What is it with my luck with women? Honestly."

* * *

"So," Jinx said as Xander pulled the N-Cycle to a stop next to her, near the cathedral, "where'd you get that much cash?" 

"We busted a counterfeiting ring just last week," he replied. "So... are we going in the loud way or the quiet way?"

"...the quiet way," Jinx said reluctantly.

"Good choice," Xander nodded. "Our only chance is if we catch him by surprise."

She looked at him, "Why are you helping me anyway?"

"I'm not here for you, Jinx," he lied. "I'm here for him. Maybe you should ask yourself that."

* * *

"Yecch, I didn't even think about the sewers." 

"Even priests have to use the can, Jinx. Everywhere that's anywhere in a city like this, you can reach through the sewers." Xander looked up at the grating above, "I think this is it. Boost me up, will ya?"

"Sure thing," she whispered into his ear, stepping behind him and looping her arms under his. She pulled him close and cautiously flew up to the grate.

It took Xander a few minutes of fumbling to unscrew the grate. The feeling of Jinx's slight figure pressed against his back wasn't helping.

Nope, not helping at all.

Not that she was complaining.

_God, it's finally happened,_ he thought. _I've turned into Deadboy._

She couldn't be more than, what? Fifteen? Sixteen? That was about how old Buffy was... oh, God.

_God,_ Xander thought, _if you're listening to this, I have just one request: Kill... me... now. Please. No, seriously. Kill me now before the need for leather pants, excessive hair gel, and hours of brooding sets in_.

That he was currently wearing spandex and a cape and obsessing over Slade never entered his mind.

* * *

Xander cautiously stepped into the congregation hall and looked around. 

Suddenly, floodlights flashed on, blinding him.

"Hello, Nighthawk. I've been expecting you. You're a bit early, though. I wasn't expecting you for a few more weeks. Eager for another lesson, are we?"

"Hi, Mister Wilson!" Xander waved in his best Dennis the Menace impersonation, then raised his gun and fired. Slade's image flickered, and the computer banks behind him sparked and exploded. Xander blinked and looked around, "...the hell?"

"Holographic technology is such an amazing thing, wouldn't you agree, Nighthawk?" This time, Slade's voice came from all around, echoing off every wall.

"Ah, crap," Xander muttered as he reholstered his gun and advanced into the room, looking around cautiously.

He just hoped Jinx stuck to the plan.

WHAM!

Xander saw stars and tried to shake his head clear. He saw Slade and narrowly ducked the next punch. He rushed forward and tackled him around the waist, then reached back for his pistol.

Slade caught his wrist, and the gun went off as he struggled to get it into position. One bullet struck one of the floodlights, sending sparks flying.

Neither combatant seemed to notice the small flames that grew, both there and around the computer.

"Urk!" Xander choked as Slade lifted him by the throat. He struggled feebly to break free, but fatigue and injuries -- old and new -- were taking their toll.

"Tsk tsk, you should know better than to look for a fight while you're still wounded, Nighthawk," Slade said, his voice slightly scolding. "I'm disappointed."

"Yeah... well... she didn't exactly give me much choice."

"'She'?"

"Jinx! Now!" he called as he summoned up enough strength to kick Slade in the chest, pushing himself away.

Slade turned and cartwheeled aside as hex blasts peppered the area around him. "Jinx. Now you, I didn't expect."

"Stand still and die!" she snarled as she sent another wave of hexes flying. Slade ducked behind the wooden pews, and Jinx flew overhead... but he was nowhere to be seen.

She spun and gasped and fired off another hex as Slade suddenly leaped at her. The ball of bad luck struck the shattered computer banks, which suddenly vanished in a massive fireball.

Jinx felt his fist crash into the side of her face, then another punch landed in her gut, and the slight girl quickly lost track after that.

"Now why are you helping him?" Slade asked Jinx rhetorically as she glared at him groggily. He rose and looked down at her, then looked over at where Nighthawk lay. "Or... is he helping you. Very... intriguing."

He turned and left.

Jinx unsteadily got to her feet and looked around. She limped over to Nighthawk and picked him up, "Hey, c'mon. We need to go."

Xander nodded. The church was already in flames, and if they didn't move fast, they were both going to burn to death. He put his arm around her shoulders, allowing her to support him, and together, they headed for the main doors.

Then Xander saw it.

"Look out!" he cried as he yanked her back and spun. The choir balcony above collapsed, crumpling to the ground and sending fiery shrapnel in all directions.

Xander was glad his cape was reinforced enough to stop most of it. He was less glad that it was only "most."

"ARGH!" he cried out as he was effectively staked from behind in the lower left of his back... and he blacked out.

* * *

/...and this just in. A sudden fire has engulfed the Saint Stephen's Cathedral on Twenty-Third Street.../ 

"I thought that place was abandoned?" Beast Boy frowned.

"It is," Robin replied as he leaned toward the front of the T-Car. "It must be them. Cyborg!"

"On it!"

The T-Car swerved, and in minutes, they were in front of the blazing church.

"Circle round!" Robin ordered. "Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, go in and find them. Beast Boy, see if you can help put this thing out." He drew forth one of his freeze bombs and began to do his part.

Cyborg went around the left, and Starfire headed around the right side.

Raven stepped around until she found a likely spot, then waved her hand, lifting some of the flaming debris, and stepped through. Looking around, her eyes caught movement, and as she approached, she raised an eyebrow in curiousity.

"Jinx?"

The HIVE grad looked up, tears in her eyes. Nighthawk's head rested in her lap, and she was stroking his chest. "He... he saved my life. He..." she looked back down at him.

Raven just shook her head and turned, telekinetically ripping a path through the fiery wreckage to the street outside. "Come on, I can't keep this up forever."

* * *

"I hope you realize how incredibly stupid that was," Robin said. 

Nighthawk glared at him, "I am not about to be lectured by someone your age, so back off! Especially not after some of the stunts you've pulled."

"He is right, Robin," Starfire said softly. "You of all people should understand how he feels about Slade."

Robin practically vibrated at that for a long moment, before he wordlessly turned on his heel and stormed out of the infirmary.

Starfire watched him go, then turned to glare at Nighthawk, "Nighthawk, why did you work with Jinx to find Slade? She is not our friend."

"'The enemy of my enemy,'" he quoted in response, "'is my friend.'"

"What I don't get," Beast Boy said, scratching his head in puzzlement, "is why Jinx went after Slade."

* * *

Xander's eyes fluttered open in the darkened infirmary. A quick glance at the digital clock on the opposite wall told him it was about two in the morning. 

"Hi, there."

"Hi," he replied.

"You left the window open again," Jinx said.

"I know," Xander nodded. "Had a feeling you might drop by."

Jinx lowered her head thoughtfully, then looked out the window, "You saved my life."

"It's what I do," he replied. "Any of the other Titans would've done the same."

She snorted and looked at him skeptically, "I doubt it. But anyway, I just... I just came to say thanks."

"You're welcome."

Jinx walked over to him and planted a kiss on his cheek, "I... I have to go."

"No, you don't."

"What?"

"You don't have to go back," he said softly. "It's not too late, Jinx. It never is."

Jinx jerked back, her face twisting through a dozen different expressions, and finally bolted for the window.

Xander sighed. Suddenly, he was seeing Jinx through familiar eyes. He'd seen that lost look a dozen times or more, in some of the slayers he'd found, the ones who'd started on the path Faith walked so long ago.

Some, he'd been able to help. Those he couldn't... had to be stopped. One way or another.

He wondered about the other slayers he knew. The serrakin mage was right. Only one of his cadre was still standing when he'd tried detonating the magical doohickey.

_Wherever you are, Abbey, I hope you're okay._

* * *

She was a teenager, perhaps sixteen or seventeen, with dark hair and eyes and coffee-colored skin, and she was trapped. The building was some sort of deathtrap, and only her inhuman strength and reflexes allowed her to get this far unscathed. She didn't know how she got here, but she didn't care... yet. 

Once she got out, on the other hand...

At the end of the hallway, she saw light. It looked like daylight. She smiled in relief and charged, trusting her supernatural speed to get her there in one piece.

She rolled under a giant swinging axe blade, sidestepped a spring-loaded blade in the floor, and somersaulted over a spiked pit that dropped open. Finally, she burst through the window...

...only to find herself alone, in a darkened room, wrapped in a false poster of the outside world.

No, not quite alone. Floodlights blinded her, and she glared up at the shadow silhouetted in it.

"Well done, Abigail. You've passed your first test with flying colors."

"Who the hell are you!" she demanded.

"Brother Blood," came the reply, "but you will call me Headmaster."

* * *

Author's Postscript: 

Heehee. That last scene just kinda hit me.

And as they say, "one good turn..."


	7. 5: End of Forever

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 5: End of Forever (1/1) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and How Long Is Forever? for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Starfire finds herself in a grim future... but there is a glimmer of hope.

Author's Note: And now we return to your completely-unscheduled modified episodes.

* * *

They were doing a remarkably good job at ignoring Cyborg and Beast Boy's antics. 

"I'm telling you, Robin, once we find him, mass firepower is the way to go," Xander said. "Slade can outsmart any plan we come up with. You can't outsmart an air strike."

"You must be out of your mind!" Robin snapped. "That much firepower would wipe out half the city."

"HAPPY BLORTHOG!"

"Half a block. At most," Xander shot back. "Unless we mess up, and we're not that careless."

Robin shot to his feet, "Just talking about that much explosives is careless enough."

"And what's your alternative, huh?" Xander rose to meet him, eye to eye. "Slade's good enough to block bullets and can take on all of us without breaking a sweat!"

"Blowing up chunks of the city is not a solution!"

"Fine! Just give me a high-powered rifle and lure him out. However good he is, he can't block it if he doesn't see it coming."

"That's murder!"

"How else are we supposed to stop him? You really think there's a prison on this planet that can hold him, Robin? What are we supposed to do, call up Superman and ask if we can borrow his Phantom Zone Projector?"

"STTTTTOOOOOPPPPP!"

Xander and Robin blinked and turned to look at Starfire.

"Friends must never behave this way... and especially not on Blorthog!" she announced. "Do you wish to invite the rekmas?"

"Gesundheit?" Beast Boy tried.

Starfire turned away, "On my world, 'rekmas' means 'the drifting,' the point at which close friends begin to drift apart... and their friendship begins to die."

Xander watched silently as the others responded.

"Oh, come on, Starfire," Cyborg said.

"We are so not rek-whatever-ing," Beast Boy added.

"We're getting on each other's nerves a little," Raven said. "Big deal."

"Yeah," Robin said. "This is just typical roommate stuff. We're not going to drift apart, Star. I promise. We'll all be friends forever."

"Forever?" Starfire asked hopefully.

Suddenly, Robin's belt began to beep, and he pulled out his communicator.

"Titans! Trouble!"

As they raced off, Xander laid a hand on Starfire's shoulder, "They're right, you know. Friendship like this... it'll take more than a little drifting to tear it apart. I should know. Been through it before."

"You have?"

"Yeah, and three years later, that friendship was still strong enough to save the world."

* * *

"And you relics are one hundred years out of date," Warp said as he turned toward the Clock of Eternity... 

Click.

...and froze.

"Maybe," Nighthawk said, "but I'm betting you're not bulletproof, and I doubt that force field of yours can protect you from this range."

"Ah, the practical one," Warp said knowingly.

Xander would not be able to say exactly what Warp had done next. All he knew was that it sent him flying backwards, and his eyesight went haywire.

"Ta ta, Titans," Warp said, his loot in his hands and standing in front of the portal he'd created. "I have enjoyed our time together, but I've got a very bright future ahead of me."

Starfire roared and flew at him, he paused in surprise, "What?"

As she tackled him, they both flew into the portal, which vanished... moments before Robin tumbled through where it was.

"Starfire!"

* * *

Starfire did not like the future. Cyborg in disrepair... Beast Boy in a cage as some sort of freak show... 

...and no idea where Nighthawk or Robin were.

She landed carefully on the balcony. The building did not look very stable, but this was where Cyborg had said she could find Raven. She walked up to the steel door at the far end and opened it, revealing a pure white room.

"Raven? Raven, it is Starfire, your friend," Starfire called as she entered.

"No such thing," Raven said softly.

"Please, Raven, I..."

"Just another figment. Don't even look."

"You must listen! I am here because-..."

"I'm never coming back!" Raven interrupted angrily. "Go away!" She floated away to another corner, "It has to go away. Just like before. Just like alllll the others." Starfire stared in surprise as a hidden door opened, and Raven collapsed into the arms of the man who stood behind it, "It'll go away, right? Just like all the others?"

"I don't think so, Rae," Nighthawk said, staring at Starfire in disbelief. "Not this time." He looked down at Raven and gently stroked her cheek. Leaning down, he kissed her on the forehead and said, "Wait here, Rae, while I talk to her."

"All right."

Nighthawk stepped back and waved Starfire through. He closed the door behind them and turned to her.

"Nighthawk?"

"No," he said, taking the mask off. "Not for a long time. It's just Xander now. As it should've been from the beginning. I stopped playing with capes and costumes a long time ago, Kori. Different battlefield, different enemy, same war. Took me far too long to realize that."

Starfire blinked, "Why did you call me 'Kori'?"

He looked at her, "Short for Koriand'r. That is your real name, right?"

"Yes, but... how did you know that, and why use my real name?"

"My otherworld knowledge, remember?" he replied with a shrug. He turned away and leaned on the window sill, staring out at the city. "As for why... codenames, capes, costumes... all that's just a game, Kori; none of it's real." He looked back at her, "That's why I hung up my cape. If it weren't for Raven's sake, I'd've burned this costume years ago, but she seems to respond better when I'm wearing it."

"You... truly believe that?"

"Yes. I do."

"Oh," Starfire looked down thoughtfully. She looked up, "Forgive me for asking, but... your eye..."

"Huh?" Xander touched his cheek near the empty socket. "Oh. Heh. Yeah, I lost it in my last fight with Slade. I guess history repeats itself, even if it is a different history."

Suddenly, his resigned smile vanished, and he froze, "Wait. Different history... Kori... twenty years..." he glanced at her, "not aged a day... disappeared fighting... Warp! Of course! How could I have missed it!"

"What is it, Ni-Xander?"

Xander headed for a nearby door, "We need to find Nightwing. And fast."

"Who is this 'Nightwing'?"

"It's what the Robin you knew's calling himself now," he said, looking at her over his shoulder.

"'The Robin I knew'?" Starfire blinked in surprise. "There were others?"

"The Bat had a new Robin or two running around Gotham a while back. Lemme get changed, and we'll head out."

* * *

"So, about Raven... will she be all right?" Starfire asked as she flew next to Xander, who was astride a black motorcycle -- not the N-Cycle. 

"Yeah," Xander replied. "She'll be fine."

He was dressed in black and grey camouflage-patterned BDUs. A utility harness with numerous straps and pouches wrapped around him. She saw at least two guns on him as well: A pump-action shotgun in a sheath on his back and a pistol holstered at his hip.

"I see."

After a moment, Xander shot her a side glance and said, "Okay, whatever's on your mind, ask."

"I am... wondering... about you... and Raven."

Xander was silent on that for a long moment, and when he spoke, his voice was nearly drowned out by wind and the motorcycle's engine.

"It was after Slade took my eye," he said, his voice distant. "I was... it hit me pretty hard. I was reliving some of the worst parts of my life, and Rae... she... she went into my mind. Literally. She pulled me out of it... but it nearly killed her.

"The Titans were already falling apart by then. Me and Robin never saw eye to eye on anything. My methods were... too extreme for his tastes, and then there was that fiasco with... well, nevermind that. Rae was the only one who was there for me, helped me get back on my feet. When she lost it, in that big mess with her father... it was all I could do to reach her."

Suddenly, he swerved and brought the motorcycle to a screeching halt. He swung his leg over the bike and headed into the factory without hesitation. "Wait here."

* * *

"You've got a lot of nerve, showing up here, Xander." 

He turned, "Yeah, well... something's come up. I wouldn't be here if I didn't have a reason, Dick. Not after what happened with Jinx..."

"Don't you bring that up again!"

"I never even learned her real name," Xander said softly, then looked up at Nightwing, a sardonic smile on his face, "and that reminds me. Have I thanked you for that yet today?"

WHAM!

"Didn't think so."

"How did you find this place, anyway?" Nightwing asked, rubbing his cheek and glaring at him.

"You think you're the only one who can be discreet, Dick?" Xander snorted. "I've known about this place for months."

"So what the hell do you want?" Nightwing snapped as he rose to his feet.

"Help. I've already called in Gar, Vic, and Rae."

"And why would the great Xander Harris need my help?" Nightwing sneered.

"Kori... I mean, Starfire's back," Xander said, "and we can change things. Make it better."

* * *

"Hello, dear." 

Starfire turned in surprise as she noted, "You have also become old."

"That's what happens when someone steals my vortex regulator," Warp said. He held out his hand, "The regulator, if you please. I really must get back to my future."

Starfire backed away, pulling it off her belt and snarling, starbolt in hand, "If you ever wish to see your future, you will repair the damage you have done to my past!"

"'Damage'? Silly girl. There's nothing wrong with your past. One cannot 'damage' history, because history cannot be changed." He held up the Clock of Eternity, "I went back in time to steal this because history says it disappeared. And history says it disappeared because I went back to steal it. Past, present, future. It's all written in stone, my dear."

"I... do not believe you! Ni-Xander believes there is a way," she responded, and her voice dropped, "...and I believe in Xander."

"Couldn't have put it better myself."

Warp looked up and paled as Raven descended. Twenty years. That would put this after her confrontation with her father...

"Oh, dear."

"Twenty years late, but we're still gonna bust you," Cyborg added, stepping out from around the corner.

The green tyrannosaur that stomped into view needed no words.

He felt something cold and hard press against the back of his neck. He strongly suspected it was the barrel of a gun.

"Hello, Warp," Xander said from behind him, "and before you think about trying the same stunt you did twenty years ago, look to your left."

Warp did. He saw Xander's hand wrapped around a grenade. There was no pin in the grenade.

"And no, that's not a seven-second fuse," Xander added. "Now, I believe we have a few things to discuss about time travel."

* * *

"Ta ta, Titans," Warp said, his loot in his hands and standing in front of the portal he'd created. "I have enjoyed our time together, but I've got a very bright future ahead of me." 

Starfire roared and flew at him, he paused in surprise, "What?"

As she tackled him, they both flew into the portal, which vanished... moments before Robin tumbled through where it was.

"Starfire!"

"Oh, my head..." Nighthawk murmured.

"Um, where did she-..."

Suddenly, a flash interrupted Beast Boy's question, and another portal opened, and Starfire emerged, clutching the Clock of Eternity.

"Dude!"

"Whoa!"

"Star!" Robin called as the portal vanished. "What happened?"

"History said it disappeared," Starfire said, then looked up joyously. "But history was wrong!"

Nighthawk blinked at this in bewilderment. There was something familiar about this whole day, but he couldn't quite pin it down...

* * *

"...then Nightwing handed me the Clock, and I entered the vortex," Starfire finished her story. 

"Whoa," Raven said.

"I lost my eye again?" Nighthawk muttered. "No wonder I flipped out."

"Bald?" Beast Boy shrieked, tearing out his hair. "You're telling me I'm going to be bald?"

"If you keep that up, yeah," Nighthawk snorted.

"Guess you were right about all that rekmas stuff," Cyborg said.

"I don't want us to drift apart," Robin said. "Does it all have to happen? Isn't there anything we can-...?"

"Our friendship has already changed Warp's past," Starfire said. "I believe it can also change our future."

"So..." Raven said, as she telekinetically reassembled the bell necklace Starfire had tried to give everyone, "...is it too late to do this festival-of-friendship thing?"

"Oh, it's never too late!" Starfire cried, overjoyed.

Raven levitated the necklaces around Cyborg and Beast Boy's necks, as well as her own.

"HAPPY BLORTHOG!" Cyborg yelled in Raven's ear.

"I thought it was 'Blort-hog,'" Beast Boy commented.

"Okay," Raven said, "I feel like a wind chime."

Starfire took one in each hand and placed one around Robin's neck.

"So..." Robin said, "...Nightwing, huh?"

"Yes," Starfire smiled, then looked around and frowned. "I shall return."

* * *

Starfire looked around carefully. She had not told everything she had learned in the future. 

For one thing, she had not spoken of the closeness shared between Xander and Raven. It was... she had felt like she was intruding, and it would not have been right to share something so private with the other Titans.

Finally, she found him.

"What is wrong, Nighthawk? Why do you not join us in celebrating Blorthog?"

He looked up, "Nothing much. It's just... what you saw in the future..."

"That will not come to pass. We will not allow it."

"Don't be so sure about that," Nighthawk said, looking away. "Back on my world, I'd been fighting for ten years. I fought, and I killed."

"You had no choice."

"Didn't I?" he looked at her. "Last few years back there, I was in Africa. Africa's not a nice place, Star. It's as close to hell on Earth you'll find without a hellmouth, and that's without factoring in the demons. I had to do a lot of things I'm not proud of, and if I had to... I'd probably do them again."

Silence reigned for a long moment.

"Nightha-... Xander, thank you."

He blinked, "Wha-huh?"

"For entrusting me with this knowledge," she clarified.

"Oh," Nighthawk replied. "Hardly seems like a favor, burdening you with this... but you're welcome anyway."

"And please, from now on, unless we are in public, I would like you to call me... Kori."

"All right... Kori."

The future was not set. Perhaps...

She smiled, "Come, let us rejoin the others."

* * *

Author's Postscript: 

Gosh, the future sure looks interesting, doesn't it?

Ain't I a stinker?

And look! Three ships sailing, all with Xander aboard, and none of them running into each other!


	8. 6: Clash of the Clowns 1

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 6: Clash of the Clowns (1/2) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and How Long Is Forever? for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: An old associate of Robin shows up for a surprise reunion.

Author's Note: As a side note, chronologically, this occurs at around the same time as Every Dog Has His Day.

* * *

It was an ice cream truck. It was playing a happy tune as it drove into Jump City, but there were no children swarming it, for it was late at night. 

Eventually, it pulled into a warehouse and stopped. Its occupants exited the vehicle and, after an inspection of the interior of the building, headed for the roof.

"Well, isn't this a charming sight?" the man asked rhetorically. "The Bat's little brat finally making his own way in the world. I do hope he appreciates the effort I'm going through."

The woman grinned, "It'll be a killer surprise, Mistah J."

"That it will, Harl. That it will." He spun around, gesturing with his arm to encompass the entire city. "We're gonna paint this town red!" He suddenly looked thoughtful, "And purple. And maybe a little bit of blue and green too." He threw his head back, "AHAHAHAHA!"

* * *

"C'mon, c'mon..." Beast Boy murmured as he hammered the Gamestation control pad with a manic intensity. 

Off to the side, Raven was relaxing with a book, ignoring the video game and its player, while Starfire watched in fascination.

"So, the objective is to jump on the mushrooms? I do not understand."

"Don't try, Starfire," Raven suggested. "It's dangerous to your brain if you do. Look at Beast Boy."

"Hey!"

* * *

"So, how do you like her?" Cyborg asked in a hushed voice. 

Xander sighed in awed reverence, "She's... beautiful."

"Yup, that she is," Cyborg nodded in agreement. "Why don't you try her out?"

"Sure. Just one thing, first," Xander said. "What's this?"

"Ah!" Cyborg grinned. "That's the explosive setting. You can punch through tank armor, though it's not so good against soft targets; mostly, it'll just toss 'em around a bit."

Xander shook his head in amazement as he leveled the pistol experimentally, feeling its weight, "Laser, sonic stunner, and an explosive setting? In something this size? Agent J, eat your heart out."

It wasn't as small as a Noisy Cricket -- its heft coming pretty close to his Colt -- but as far as Xander was concerned, that was a good thing.

Suddenly, Robin's voice echoed from the PA system: "Titans! Trouble!"

* * *

The Titans entered the bank apprehensively. 

"Ahaha..."

"Who's there?"

"Haha... I can't... haha... I can't stop laughing," tears ran down the bank teller's face, tracking around the unnatural grin plastered on her face.

"Joker," Robin's eyes narrowed. He looked around as he reached into his utility belt. "Don't worry. You're gonna be all right. I have the antidote. I..." he trailed off as he saw others step into view, all wearing same twisted combination of rictus grin and pleading eyes.

"What's wrong, Robin?" Xander asked.

"I don't have enough," the Boy Wonder whispered. "I don't have enough antitoxin for everyone here."

Xander's face hardened, "Fine. Give me what you have. I'll save who I can while you get on the horn with the Bat."

"But... how will you choose?"

"Just hand it over!" Xander snapped. "I'll cure the weakest. If you and the Bat hustle, we can get more before the stronger ones buy it."

Robin nodded and slapped it into his hand, then spun and left.

"What if they're not fast enough?" Raven asked.

"...then we'll find Joker, take him out, and feel bad about it later. Cyborg, I need your scanners for this. See who'll last the longest."

"That's cold, man!" Cyborg said.

"That's life, Cyborg," Xander retorted. "There's nothing else we can do. Now get started before we start losing the ones we can save."

* * *

"I'm sorry, Master Dick, but Master Bruce is currently incommunicado." 

"I don't care, Alfred!" Robin snapped. "I don't need the old man; I need the Joker antitoxin. And lots of it; Joker's guaranteed to use it again. Just get it ready. I'll call the Watchtower and have the League transport it over."

"Very well, Master-..." Alfred blinked as the dial tone droned from the phone. He tilted his head, "Right, then..."

A moment passed, and he made a mental note to himself.

"I must remember to instruct that boy in the proper way to end a telephone conversation. Master Bruce has had far too much influence on him already..."

* * *

Xander slumped back, "That's the last of it." 

"So... now what?" Beast Boy asked.

"Now... we wait," Xander said as he rose to his feet. "I need some air. I'll be outside."

He staggered out of the bank -- away from the pleading, accusing looks -- and took a deep breath through his nose, inhaling the afternoon air.

He'd lost three slayers in a situation just like this. He'd been banking on their slayer healing to save them... or at least keep them alive until more of the cure could arrive.

It hadn't. He knew he'd made the right decision -- two others had managed to hold out long enough to be cured -- but it didn't make it any easier.

"Nighthawk?" a soft voice called tentatively.

He turned, "Oh, hey, Star."

"Do you... wish to talk about it?"

"Guys!" Robin raced toward them, a crate strapped to the back of the R-Cycle. "The antitoxin's here."

"Robin?" Xander blinked. "That was fast."

"I had J'onn teleport it."

Xander smiled and nodded.

Maybe this time, he wouldn't lose anyone.

* * *

Xander swung through Jump City, watching, searching. 

Who lives... who dies...

He'd had to make that choice, knowing the odds. He had no doubt Cyborg was going through the same thing. If it hadn't been for the League...

He was just glad he was right. It had come in time, and no one had died.

This time.

That just meant they had to find Joker before there was a next time.

And solve the problem... permanently, if he had any say in it.

* * *

Raven levitated through the city. The Titans were patrolling in full force tonight, hoping to catch Joker before he struck again. 

Her flight path was a little wobbly, however. She was still struck by the way Nighthawk had immediately taken charge at the bank. He seemed to know exactly what needed to be done and how to get it done, cutting through the emotions with a frightening ease.

He was a demon hunter, one who saw them as soulless monsters, and apparently, a very good one.

And she... was half-demon.

She was afraid of him.

_You know, if you told him the truth, you wouldn't need to be scared any longer,_ came from the deeper parts of her mind, where she had long ago shunted her other emotions.

_I can't!_ she thought. _If I do..._

It would be over. One way or another. She couldn't risk it.

_You can't hide forever._

_

* * *

_

"Tsk tsk tsk," Joker scowled as he checked his watch, pacing the warehouse they were in. "What's taking them so long? I'm starting to feel unappreciated here."

"Joker."

Joker spun in surprise, "Batman?" After a moment, he rolled his eyes "Oh, just another wannabe."

Xander twitched.

"Harley, the Tommy gun."

"Sure thing, Mistah J!"

Xander tensed himself, preparing to dive for cover.

Joker pulled the trigger and... and blinked. Out of the barrel emerged a stick holding a trio of small placards that dropped down, reading "RAT TAT TAT."

"Not that Tommy gun, Harl!"

"Sorry, Mistah J!"

Xander grinned, "My turn."

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

"Hey!" Joker cried as he dove behind a crate. "You're not playing by the rules!"

"I've never played by the rules," Xander called back. "Why start now?"

BLAM! BLAM!

"You're not supposed to use guns!" Joker yelled back indignantly.

"Neither are you."

BLAM! BLAM!

"But... but I'm the bad guy!"

"So?" Xander asked as he reloaded. _Hmm, maybe I should try the new energy pistol..._

"You're the good guy!"

"And your point is...?" Xander asked as he fired the energy pistol in its explosive setting, shattering the crate.

"I'm the only one who's supposed to break the rules!" Joker shot back from behind another crate. "It's... it's not fair!"

"Fair only counts to whoever wins the fight," Xander replied. "Besides, I happen to think this is very fair."

Joker paused and looked thoughtful for a moment, "You know, you have a point..." he snapped and stabbed a finger toward Xander, "but that's not the point!"

"So, what is?" Xander asked mildly, trying hard not to burst out laughing.

Joker ducked a laser blast as a look of realization dawned on his face, "You... you... you're laughing at me. You're making fun of me... THAT'S MY JOB!"

Xander quirked an eyebrow, "You dress like that, act like you do, and get beaten all the time... and you expect me to not laugh at you? I mean, yeah, my whole ex-fear of clowns aside..."

"All right!" Joker snarled. "That's it!" Xander heard wood breaking, and Joker emerged, toting another Tommy gun, "Two can play!"

"Uh oh."

Joker laughed as he opened fire, proving this one to be real.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Click.

Joker blinked down at the empty Tommy gun, "Oh, dear."

"Gotcha," Xander said, sticking his head out around the crate he was hiding behind. He lined up the new gun Cyborg had built for him and pulled the trigger.

ZZZzzz...zz...

Xander blinked as smoke and sparks emerged from the gun.

"Aw, hell," he muttered as he dropped it and reached for his Colt.

"Nuh uh!"

Xander looked up.

"No one shoots Mistah J!"

BLAM!

WHAM!

"Hey!" Harley blinked as Xander shot the mallet handle just below the head, sending the head tumbling back. "That's not fair!"

Xander stared. "Since when did you two start worrying about 'fair'!" he sputtered indignantly.

"HARRRLEYYY! Time to blow this joint! I think we've made our point!"

"Right, Mistah J!" Harley glared at him... and stomped her foot down.

Xander's eyes crossed in pain.

He was so glad he wore a cup.

* * *

"Why did you jump in like that?" Robin asked. 

Xander shrugged, "Hey, I called you guys. If I'd waited any longer, who knows what they would've done?"

"They blew up the warehouse."

"I know. I was there, remember? Did you figure out what they were doing there?"

"Yeah," Robin said grimly. "I had a second shipment of Joker antitoxin shipped in. It was in that warehouse; they were going to deliver it in the morning. It's the only thing in there they didn't find any traces of."

"What would Joker want with the antitoxin?" Xander frowned. "How much was there?"

"A lot," Robin said shortly. "Thirty thousand doses."

"Which means," Xander said, "we need to find places that have at least thirty thousand people in them, NOW."

"Why?" Starfire queried.

"Because," Robin said, "that's where he's logically going to strike next."

"But this is the Joker we're talking about," Raven pointed out. "Who says he'll do something logical?"

"Girl's got a point," Cyborg nodded in agreement.

"Because it's Joker," Xander said flatly. "If it doesn't involve Batman, it involves mass murder."

"Uh... guys?" Beast Boy called. They turned, and he silently pointed at the TV, where the visiting Steel City Tigers marched onto the field.

"Aw, man," Xander groused.

"What's wrong?" Cyborg asked.

"I hate the Steel City Tigers."

Cyborg blinked in confusion, "You watch football?"

"No, I hate football. That's why I hate the Tigers."

"Oh."

* * *

Author's Postscript: 

Okay, admittedly, Xander's not much of a clown anymore, but the title was just too cool not to use.


	9. 6: Clash of the Clowns 2

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 6: Clash of the Clowns (2/2) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and How Long Is Forever? for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: An old associate of Robin shows up for a surprise reunion.

Author's Note: As a side note, chronologically, this occurs at around the same time as Every Dog Has His Day.

* * *

The Titans had split up upon arriving at the stadium. If Joker was here, they might be able to stop him before he struck.

Raven was currently in the utility basement. The place was well-maintained, but the lights were still position far enough apart that it was hard to see. That the flourescent lights tended to flicker didn't help either.

"At least nothing's leaking," she murmured, trying to see the bright side. Considering the number of pipes running overhead, that was a blessing.

Perched on top of the aforementioned pipes some distance ahead, Harley grinned. Just a liiittle further...

She jumped.

WHAM!

Even through the pain and enchroaching blackness, Raven heard someone cheering, "I got her! I got her!"

Someone was going to hurt a lot for this.

* * *

"Goooood evening, Jump City!" Joker's voice echoed from every speaker in the stadium. "Joker here with a very special half-time surprise!"

"Drop the microphone, Joker."

Joker turned, "Robin? Well, you're here early. The Bat give you a hand?"

"I don't need his help," Robin snarled.

"Yeah, he's got us," Beast Boy added.

"And now," Cyborg leveled his sonic cannon, "we've got you."

"Please surrender," Starfire said.

"Oh, you have me, do you?"

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Mass cheering erupted from the stands.

"Hey!" Joker dove out the window of the commentator's box, smashing through the glass and curling up behind the low concrete wall.

"Nighthawk!" Robin snapped.

"You could hurt someone with that thing!" Joker howled, sticking his head up irately.

"That's the general idea," Xander deadpanned.

BLAM! BLAM!

After the gunshots rang out, he could be heard adding, "You should know."

Joker ducked, then stuck his head up again, "I'm trying to give a speech here!"

"And I wanna listen to you... why?" Xander asked, ignoring the second round of cheering.

"Nighthawk, stand down," Robin ordered. "Let's hear what he has to say."

"...fine."

"Ahem," Joker stood and straightened his bowtie, "as I was saying," he held up a remote, "this is linked to a few... surprises I have in store for the people of this sporting venue, as well as the people of Jump City... and Gotham. Touch me, and you'll get an early sneak peek. Trust me, it'll be a real GAS... ahahahaHAHAHAHA!"

Click.

Joker's laughter suddenly abated.

"Tell us where, or you won't get to enjoy the punchline," Xander said calmly.

"Geez, and I thought the Bat could use a sense of humor," Joker said with a glum look. He grinned again, "Buuut, since I'm in such a good mood!"

He pointed up, "You'll find it allll marked out on a couple of maps resting nicely in a box on top of the scoreboard. But the clock's ticking, and I'd be careful getting it out if I were you. Ta ta, bird brains!"

Xander's finger twitched. It was so tempting... but he couldn't risk the dead man's switch. He could be lying, but if he wasn't...

Still, he didn't lower the gun until Joker was out of sight.

"What the hell was that all about, Nighthawk?"

Xander blinked at Robin, "What?"

"You tried to kill him."

"Is the world a better place with him in it, Robin?"

"Uh... guys?" Beast Boy coughed. "I hate to interrupt, but... where's Raven?"

Starfire landed, "I fear the box is attached to a bomb, and I cannot disable it."

"Let me up there," Cyborg said. "I'll probably have to disable most of them anyway."

Xander looked around, "Joker's got Raven."

"We'll talk about this later," Robin said. "Cyborg, Starfire, deal with the bombs and Joker gas. Beast Boy, get to the Tower and transmit the Gotham map to the Justice League. Then check on Raven's transponder and let us know."

* * *

Raven's head was swimming as she groggily blinked through the haze. It looked like... a chemical factory. Well, that made sense.

"Joker."

"Ah, you're awake!" Joker clapped his hands together. "Good."

"You're a fool."

"You're just noticing that now?" Joker blinked in mock surprise.

"Only an idiot would kidnap someone with my powers," she said.

"Perhaps, but you're drugged up to your eyeballs, my dear," Joker said, leaning in close. "Unless I'm mistaken, you're barely able to concentrate enough to talk."

Raven tried to focus... but he was right.

"What do you want with me?"

"With you? Not so much... but as they say, 'A bird in the hand...'"

"Joker, let her go!"

Joker straightened up and looked over at Robin and Nighthawk, "'...is worth two in the bush.' Right on schedule, my avian adversaries." He frowned, "Yecch, sounds like something Penguin would say, and he has no sense of humor."

Nighthawk drew his gun.

"Harley!"

"On it, puddin'!" Harley suddenly rounded a corner, right behind her two pet hyenas.

"Oh, hell," Nighthawk murmured. "Hyenas, why is it always hyenas?"

"Let her go, Joker," Robin repeated. "Cyborg and Starfire are dismantling your bombs as we speak, and the League is cleaning up the ones in Gotham. It's over."

Joker held a hand to his ear.

"Joker!"

"Hush!" Joker held up a finger. "I'm listening. But I don't hear a fat lady singing, Robin."

Robin snarled and hurled a birdarang at Joker, who responded with a razor card. The two projectiles struck each other in mid-air as Robin charged, drawing his staff.

* * *

Harley grinned as Nighthawk remained buried under her babies.

"Hah! Like I said, no one shoots Mistah J."

She blinked as her babies suddenly flew off, got up, looked at Nighthawk, then turned and fled, whimpering.

"Huh?"

Nighthawk looked up, and Harley suddenly got a bad feeling about all this as he spoke in a sing-song voice.

"Well, well, two can play. Alpha's back and here to stay."

* * *

Robin and Joker were circling each other when Harley suddenly raced up, bowling Robin over from behind, sending him flying into the side of a vat. "Mistah J! Mistah J!"

"Harley? What's wrong?"

"We gotta get outta here! He's nuts!"

"Huh?"

That's when he heard the laughter echoing through the factory. It rivaled his own. A chill didn't exactly run down his spine, but he wasn't exactly eager to meet anyone else in that state of mind either. Not even Joker gas could get a laugh like that.

"Hmm, well, Birdboy, I'd love to stay and chat, but it seems I must bid you adieu. Ciao!" Joker leaned down, slapping Robin on the knee... with his killer joybuzzer attached.

Robin shook his head clear as Nighthawk arrived. Something seemed... off in the way he moved. He wasn't walking so much as he was... stalking.

"Nighthawk, you okay?" Nighthawk did not respond. "Nighthawk? Nighthawk!"

The other Titan seemed to snap out of a daze, and he blinked at Robin almost as if he were seeing him for the first time, "Huh? Robin?" After a moment, his mind seem to catch up, "Uhh, yeah. Yeah, I'm okay."

"Well, then don't just stand there!" Robin said as he finally recovered enough to pick himself up. "They'll get away!"

"No, they won't," Nighthawk replied calmly, looking back up to where the two clown-clad criminals had fled.

BOOM!

Robin blinked, then, with strained patience, asked, "What... was that?"

"Uhh..." Nighthawk coughed, "...Semtex?"

"NIGHTHAWK!"

"Just a little! They should be okay. Mostly. I rigged it while we were casing the place."

* * *

Joker coughed and looked up at Robin. He looked over and saw Nighthawk supporting the half-conscious Raven, "Your work, I presume?"

"How'd you guess?" Nighthawk grinned.

"I despise you."

"Ain't I a stinker?"

"On the other hand," Joker grinned, "I like your style. The laugh was a nice touch too."

Nighthawk scowled, "You just had to ruin it, didn't you?"

* * *

"So what do we do with these two?" Cyborg asked. The Titans had regrouped at the Tower, with Joker and Harley in custody.

"I don't know," Robin shook his head. "Courts won't send them to prison, and Jump City doesn't have an asylum that can handle them. The League?"

"No go," Beast Boy shook his head. "Something about another pending alien invasion."

"I'll take care of them."

Robin looked over, "Nighthawk, don't kill them."

"Why not?" Xander asked as he continued toward them.

A black barrier suddenly interposed itself between him and them.

"I won't let you," Raven said flatly.

Xander's eyes narrowed, "You have no idea what he's going to do, Raven. I do, and I can't let that happen."

Raven's eyes narrowed as well as she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "Oh, that's right. You're not from here. You've read allll about us in your comics and on television."

"I know enough, Rae," Xander said quietly. "Even about you."

"You know NOTHING, Nighthawk!" Raven snapped. _No, he can't know... can he, even with his otherworld knowledge? Of course not. If he did, he would've..._

After all, right now, he was trying to kill Joker, and he was human.

"Temper, temper, little girl..." Joker said. If looks could kill, the argument would've ended right there, judging from the death glares the Titans shot his way. He leaned back, "Geez, tough room."

"...fine," Xander said. "I won't kill them. I'll be back in a few days."

"I shall go with you, Nighthawk," Starfire said.

"I don't need a babysitter, Star."

"I have no intention of sitting upon a baby, Nighthawk, but I do intend to keep you from doing something... ill-advised."

Xander spun and looked at them, "Look, I won't kill, maim, torture, dismember, send to hell, or any of the other hundred or so creative things I could do to them. Satisfied? I'm just going to fly over to Gotham and drop them off. They can handle these two loons."

"Umm... 'drop them off'?" Beast Boy repeated nervously.

"Not. Literally," Xander ground his teeth.

"Umm..." Joker leaned toward Raven, "forgive me if I'm wrong, but don't you usually reserve this kind of treatment for... well... someone like me?"

"Do you want to be left alone with him?" Raven asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh, Mistah J?" Harley whispered. "He scares me."

"I'll go with him."

Xander glared at Cyborg.

"Hey, you'll need a copilot," Cyborg reasoned. "It's a pretty long flight."

Xander sighed, "Fine." He looked at Joker, "Just remember, Joker, next time you get it in your head to play a few more pranks: As bad as you are... I'm worse. And there won't always be someone around to stop me."

After the four left, Raven jumped as a hand fell on her shoulder. She turned. It was Robin.

"Are you okay, Raven?"

"Y-y-yeah," she said. "I just... need to meditate. I'll be in my room."

* * *

"Man!" Cyborg crowed as he fussed around. "This plane is sweet! Where'd you get it, and can we keep it?"

"I, uh, 'borrowed' it," Xander said. "But sure."

Cyborg turned, "You stole it?"

"Trust me, it wouldn't be a good idea to try and return it, considering who I got it from."

* * *

Slade watched the plane as it dwindled out of sight, then looked at the empty hangar on his private airstrip.

"Very impressive, Nighthawk. Very impressive indeed."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Poor Harley. I guess we know who's going to be starring in her nightmares for a while.


	10. 7: Dullsville Prologue

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 7: Dullsville (0 of 3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Terra for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: After delivering his two prisoners to Gotham, Xander takes the opportunity to doff the costume and relax.

Author's Note: You'll be seeing a few more elements from the general DCAU here, rather than the Titansverse.

* * *

"Sixty-five rubber chickens on the wall, sixty-five rubber chickens..." 

Cyborg growled, "Can I just...?"

"No."

"But they're..."

"NO, Cyborg," Xander said, "you can't duct tape their mouths shut." After a moment, he suggested, "You can, however, rip their tongues out. I said I wouldn't dismember them. I didn't say anything about you."

"Eep!" Harley squeaked.

"Shutting up now," Joker announced. After a moment, he said, "You know, my boy, you'd have a BRIGHT future in the world of crime..."

"Sorry. I don't do bright," Xander replied. "Not anymore. It makes you a target."

Joker's face took on an expression of surprise, "Is that what I've been doing wrong?"

Xander snorted, "No, you want to be a target. You can't get recognition if you're not."

"Point."

"Uh, Mistah J? He's the one who wants to kill us, remember? Do we want to be recognized?"

"Not by him, perhaps. The Bat, on the other hand..."

Xander shook his head. This was going to be a long flight.

* * *

Joker was asleep, and so was Cyborg. Xander was close to nodding off himself and was thankful for the thermos of coffee he had next to him. 

"Um... Mistah Nighthawk, sir?"

Xander looked over his shoulder, "What?"

Harley looked up nervously, "I-I-I... I wanna apologize."

"For what?"

"For hitting you in the... you know."

Xander winced and nodded, "Apology accepted, Harley."

"What was she talking about, 'Hawk?" Cyborg asked quietly.

Xander winced again, "Don't ask, Cy. Just... don't ask."

Cyborg shot him a sidelong glance as realization dawned on him, "Oh. Ohhh..." He frowned and lowered his voice, "You forgave her pretty quick for something like that."

Xander shrugged. "She's really not that bad for the most part," he murmured in reply. "She's just a violent maniac."

* * *

Author's Note: 

Okay, she's mentally unstable, violent, and prone to wielding a mallet.

Gee, why does that sound familiar...?

On the other hand, Harley can cook...

* * *

"Huh," Cyborg leaned back and looked at Xander strangely. "You were playing a different tune a while back." 

"I never planned on killing her, Cy," Xander replied quietly, refusing to meet Cyborg's gaze, his voice barely audible to even to Cyborg. "She's mostly harmless without Joker or Ivy leading her by the nose."

"Still, man," Cyborg shook his head, "you gotta admit that it'd be pretty hard to, you know, make her better. Add to that she's got a lot of bad blood with the Bat, and she'll never see the outside of Arkham..."

"I never said it would be easy, Cy," Xander said, "and it'll be near impossible as long Joker's still in the picture, but the best things never are: wealth, prosperity... love."

"You've been there, I take it?" Cyborg asked.

Xander shrugged, "You could say that."

_Wow,_ thought Harley, _kinda profound for a guy in tights._

* * *

Alfred Pennyworth was an observant man. One had to be in order to function well as a butler. 

Or, for that matter, to survive in Her Majesty's service.

But given who his employer was, he was somewhat used to being surprised by stealthy appearances. In fact, his employer's ward had taken it as a challenge to startle him whenever possible and, before his departure, had achieved it with a tiring regularity.

So when the dark, shadowy shape of a man with a cape caught his attention in the Batcave, he wasn't extremely alarmed.

"Master Bruce?"

"No," Xander said as he stepped out into the light, "but thanks for the compliment."

Alfred backed away, "My word! Who are you? How did you get in here?"

"I'm Nighthawk, a friend of Robin's," Xander said. He lifted his two prisoners -- bound and, thanks to the judicious use of some knock-out gas, unconscious -- and tossed them to the floor of the Batcave, making sure not to hurt Harley.

He was somewhat less gentle with Joker. He'd probably wake up with a handful more bruises than he had when he'd conked out.

"Tell your boss to keep his trash out of my city," Xander said, turning to leave.

Xander blinked in surprise, just barely able to stop before running into Batman.

"I'll keep that in mind," the Dark Knight said.

"You do that," Xander replied, struggling to keep his cool.

"We've made some progress on getting you home."

"I'm sure you have."

Made sense, as far as Xander was concerned. Batman was plenty smart enough to figure out the connection between the Titans' otherworldly visitor and their newest member.

"I don't suppose you'd bother to tell me the truth if I asked you any questions about the future, would you?"

"And spoil all the fun? Oh, perish the thought," Xander grinned. This was actually kinda fun! "I will say this, though: Twenty years is a long time for a Gotham without a Bat."

From his position behind Nighthawk, Alfred could see what passed for pure shock on Master Bruce's face, but he doubted that anyone beyond a very select few would recognize it. Batman went on to ask, "Twenty years? Granted, even I need a vacation on occasion, but that's ridiculous."

Nightwing's voice was edged with a little dark humor when he spoke again, the words sending a chill down Alfred's spine, "Who said anything about a vacation? Things change, Wayne, and the cowl does come off. Some day, someone else might put it on, and when that day comes... he'll need your help. Now, I've got places to go. Think about what I said."

Once Nighthawk left, Batman shook his head and grinned, "I like him."

Alfred sighed. "You would, Master Bruce."

* * *

"Oh, man," Xander muttered, trembling and leaning against the fence around Wayne Manor. "I canNOT believe I just challenged Batman on his own turf! IN the Batcave, even!" 

He shook it off and squared his shoulders. Time to meet back up with Cyborg.

* * *

Joker groaned as consciousness returned. He blinked as he looked around and grinned, "BATMAN! So good to see you!" He looked around with a little trepidation, "Uh, where's that maniac, Nighthawk? You have to get us away from him." 

"He left."

Joker blinked. "Oh. Good."

"Uh, Mistah J? We're still with Batsy, though."

"So?" Joker shot back. "Worst he'll do is send us back to Arkham."

Impressed, Batman watched the two of them and shook his head, "I really like him."

Joker swallowed nervously.

* * *

"So, we're off?" Cyborg asked. 

Xander looked up at the plane and slowly shook his head, "Maybe. Think you can fly her back by yourself?"

"Sure. Autopilot handles most of it, anyway. Why?"

"Well," Xander shrugged, "I was just thinking. Back home, I tried to go on a cross-country road trip. I got about forty miles."

"Oh," Cyborg nodded, "and you wanna finish it? Is that why you brought the N-Cycle?"

"Actually, yeah," Xander said.

"Go," Cyborg said. "Find yourself, 'Hawk. We'll manage."

* * *

Author's Postscript: 

And off to the road trip.


	11. 7: Dullsville 1

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 7: Dullsville (1/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link. Plus, archived at http/ or http/ Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Terra for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: After delivering his two prisoners to Gotham, Xander takes the opportunity to doff the costume and relax.

Author's Note: You'll be seeing a few more elements from the general DCAU here, rather than the Titansverse.

* * *

"'Welcome to Smallville,'" Xander read the sign as he passed it and added, "home of cattle, corn, and Earth's resident Kryptonian." 

As he slowed the N-Cycle -- which was now devoid of any exterior markings to connect it with the Titans -- he could feel his stomach complaining.

Better get something to eat.

* * *

It was a summer job, and she hated it. To be honest, she'd rather be in Metropolis than waiting tables in a diner in Nowhere, Kansas, but she didn't exactly have much choice in the matter. 

At least her shift was almost over.

The door jingled, interrupting her mental litany of complaints, and she looked up and watched the customer as he headed for a table.

_Hmm... nice butt._

* * *

While he ate, Xander was racking his brain, trying to figure out why the waitress seemed vaguely familiar. 

As he finished up the last of his steak -- rare, a legacy of... well, he didn't like to think about that -- the waitress sat down across from him, out of uniform.

"Hi."

"Um... hi?" he blinked.

She smiled, "You're not from around here, are ya?"

"Is it that obvious?" he asked with a wry grin.

"Hardly," she rolled her eyes. "Smallville lives up to its name. Everyone knows everyone around here. So what brings a guy like you to a place like this?"

"Just seeing the sights," he said. "Sort of a road trip thing."

"And you pick Dullsville, Kansas?" she chuckled.

"Hey, there's something to see in every town," he replied defensively.

"I suppose," she allowed. "How about a tour?"

"Sounds great," he smiled. "Xander Harris," held out his hand.

She shook his hand, "Kara Kent."

He froze. _So that's why she seems so familiar..._

"What?"

He shook his head and recovered, grabbing at the most likely reason he would have reacted like he did, "Umm, sorry. Any relation to Clark Kent? I heard he was from Smallville."

Kara rolled her eyes and let out a disgusted sound, "Yeah, he's my cousin. But let's not talk about him; he's about as boring as watching dry paint."

"Shouldn't that be 'as boring as watching paint dry'?"

"Nope," she shook her head, a mischievous grin on her face. "Watching paint while it's drying is less boring. Once it is dry..."

"Ahh..." he nodded.

"C'mon!" she tugged on his arm, and he followed.

As he headed for the N-Cycle, Kara stared at it, then circled it carefully, examining it from every angle.

"This is a nice bike."

Xander shrugged nonchalantly, "Custom-built by a friend of mine."

He really hoped she didn't try her X-ray vision on it. It'd be a bit tricky to explain some of the... "upgrades."

* * *

Xander spent the next few hours being dragged across Smallville by an enthusiastic... Argosian? Would that be the right term? He didn't know. 

He was really enjoying himself.

_This cannot end well,_ he concluded.

"So, where're you staying?" Kara asked.

Xander shrugged, "I figure I'll find a motel to crash in."

"No way."

"Huh?"

"The motels around here are some nasty places," she said. She tilted her head, "You can stay with me and Uncle Jon and Aunt Martha."

"But, um..."

"I insist."

_I am so doomed._

* * *

Kara threw herself on her bed, annoyed at her "aunt" and "uncle." 

_Good grief,_ she thought. _I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself!_

Deep down, she understood their position. She had been rather late getting home, and she had neglected to call them... but still.

How many people were strong enough to really hurt her? Just how likely was it that someone carrying a chunk of kryptonite would be in Smallville?

Really.

She didn't need a babysitter. She didn't hunt down trouble like Clark -- unless she was bored -- and she knew when to call in the cavalry.

They didn't have to jump all over Xander like that.

On the other hand, since it was so late, it did keep them from putting him through the griller over dinner. Silver lining and all that.

She blew out a sigh. Maybe they'll be more reasonable in the morning. She liked Xander.

_Wait,_ she frowned. _What was that?_

* * *

Xander would never be able to say what, exactly, it was that woke him. A change in the air pressure, an unfamiliar scent, a creaking floorboard... or just plain luck. 

Whatever it was, it saved his life, for the first thing he saw was a scimitar hovering above him.

He rolled off the couch, right into the goon's legs, toppling him over, and leaped to his feet. He looked around. There were three of them.

"Great."

Xander dove for the fireplace and rolled back to his feet, raising the poker just barely quick enough to block the next blow. With a shove, he sent the goon tumbling back over the couch, then turned and parried another blow. Rotating the poker, he yanked, catching the blade in the hook and sending it into the floor. He brought his knee up into the surprised thug's face, sending him falling back.

He swung at the third, who parried and twisted, sending the poker flying.

Xander back-pedaled and grabbed the shotgun from above the fireplace. He leveled it and pulled the trigger.

Nothing.

As the third thug swung, he parried with the gun's barrel, then smashed first the muzzle, then the stock in the goon's face. He spun and rammed the stock into the thug's chest and then up into his chin...

...then shifted his grip to the end of the barrel and swung it at the last one, cracking the wooden stock across his face.

"Xander?" She couldn't believe the way he had taken out all three guys even as both Aunt Martha and Uncle Jonathan came to a stop behind her, "What's going on down here?"

He turned, "Uh, Kara. Hi."

Kara looked around in amazement, "Who are you? Robin?"

Xander twitched, "No." He shook his head and began tidying up the mess, picking up swords, the poker, and the goons, grumbling, "...compared to Birdboy of all people... ooh, yeah... my day is now complete... mistaken for the Bat's little brat... oughtta put her over my knee..." He suddenly spun and jabbed a finger at Kara, "And don't think I can't! After all the slayers I've had to deal with..."

Kara blinked, "'Slayers'?"

"Teenaged girls with hyped up strength, speed, natural fighting instincts, plus the usual hormones going at full throttle. Then point them at vampires and demons with massive ego complexes."

The Kents swapped Looks.

"Why did you deal with them, then?"

Xander turned and spread his hands, "Because I, Kara, am stupid. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get to my bike. I'd bet even money these guys weren't alone."

Jonathan picked up the shotgun and inspected the weapon. The stock was still usable for now, but otherwise unsalvageable. Aside from that and a few scratches on the barrel, it was remarkable intact.

"If there are more of them out there, son, wouldn't it be safer to stay in here?"

"Not really," he shook his head. "They got in once, after all. Besides, it's pretty obvious they were after me. Don't want to get you involved if I can help it."

"Who are they, anyway?" Mrs. Kent asked.

Xander looked over at her, "That's what I aim to find out."

* * *

Author's Postscript: 

Poor guy just can't get a good night's sleep, can he?


	12. 7: Dullsville 2

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 7: Dullsville (2/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Terra for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: After delivering his two prisoners to Gotham, Xander takes the opportunity to doff the costume and relax.

Author's Note: You'll be seeing a few more elements from the general DCAU here, rather than the Titansverse.

* * *

"I didn't ask for much. I just wanted one -- just one! -- good night's sleep, but nooooo, you guys gotta come in here, swinging swords and shit, making me get off a very comfortable couch..." Xander muttered angrily as he stalked toward the barn where his bike was parked, watching for more attackers. He patted his pocket, reassuring himself that his .44 derringer was still there. He wouldn't use it unless he had to, not on goons like those three.

But it was always good to be prepared.

When he got to his bike, he quickly grabbed his gear, changing into his Nighthawk costume out of habit. He was halfway into it before he realized what he was doing.

It had become a natural part of his gearing up process.

"So that's your secret."

Xander's head jerked up, "Ka-... uhh, Supergirl! What brings you here?"

Supergirl blinked in surprise, "You... you know! Xander, you... how did you know?"

"Uhh... that's kinda complicated."

She shook her head and murmured, looking at the bike, "Well, that explains the missiles."

Xander winced. "Saw those, did you? What can I say? Jump City traffic is murder."

"I'll bet. So who were those guys after you, really?"

Xander shook his head, "I really don't know. I... look out!"

An explosion tore through the night as Xander tackled her to the ground, shrapnel peppering across his cape. When they stopped rolling, he found himself lying on top of her.

"You know," she deadpanned, "that wouldn't have hurt me."

"Oh. Right," Xander said sheepishly as he pushed himself up. "Sorry. Forgot."

"I'm not complaining. Much. Whoops!" she suddenly grabbed him and rolled them both over. A spray of bullets impacted against her back.

Xander looked up, "Umm, my cape would've stopped that."

"I know," she grinned.

"...y'know, normally, I demand at least dinner first before a girl gets this close."

"You complaining?"

"Not so much. Just a little worried. Generally, any girl who's this forward to me ends up trying to kill me."

"Speaking of people trying to kill you..." Supergirl rose to her feet.

"Yeah, this is kinda more pressing," Xander agreed as he too rose, and they stepped back to back.

They were surrounded.

BLAM!

Supergirl looked up, "That's Uncle Jon's shotgun."

"Go! I can handle these guys," Xander said. _I hope._

Supergirl nodded and flew out.

Xander looked around carefully, trying to figure out where the first attack would come from, but they didn't attack. The crowd of goons lowered their weapons -- ranging from submachine guns to more scimitars to even a few bows -- stepped back and parted.

Xander stared.

"You have got to be kidding me."

* * *

Kara Kent was many things. She was young, beautiful, super-strong, super-fast, and bulletproof.

And right now, she was also in a hurry.

The veiled attackers were no real threat to her. The trick was keeping the two older Kents safe while she took care of them, and to take them out fast enough to get back to the barn before it was too late.

She didn't believe Nighthawk for a minute that he could actually handle the two dozen or so thugs she'd left him with.

"Guys, c'mon," she reasoned, "I'm bulletproof. Swords are not gonna work."

The minions looked at each other... then charged.

They lasted about three seconds.

"C'mon!" she looked around. "Anyone else?"

CRASH!

Kara looked up.

And up.

"Who the hell are you, big guy?" she asked after she flew up to meet him eye to eye.

"His name," came the reply from below, "is Cinderblock."

She looked down at the speaker... and quickly found herself embedded in the foundation as Cinderblock struck with an overhand smash.

"I can't have you interfering, after all," the unidentified speaker added as he walked away. "I want to see how well young Nighthawk handles himself."

"Who are you?" she asked as she looked up and glared at him.

"That, little girl, is not for you to know just yet. Ask Nighthawk when the night is over. Perhaps he'll tell you. Then again, perhaps not."

* * *

Xander ducked and tackled the larger man in the midsection, putting his shoulder into it. The man grabbed him and held him place, Xander struggled to free himself even as the man fought to catch his breath.

_Maybe I should lose the elbow-length gloves and get some bigger sleeves,_ he thought as he ineffectually tried to hammer the big goon's sides. He'd be able to carry his derringer and some other weapons more conveniently. _Hmm..._

His attention was rapidly drawn back to the fight as the big man finally picked him up and sent his head smashing into the ground in an abbreviated piledriver before throwing him halfway across the barn. The crowd of goons parted to let him crash by.

Xander shook his head to clear it and looked up to see the big man approaching, and he took the most obvious shot he had.

_Great,_ he thought, _he's a eunuch. They never mentioned that in the cartoons or comics._

He scrambled back and to his feet, circling carefully. His head was still ringing.

With a deafening roar, his opponent charged, and Xander ducked under his reach, rising up in a right uppercut to the chin than sent the man rocking on his heels. Shaking his hand to get some feeling back, Xander turned and knife handed the giant's throat with his left.

"Sit, Ubu!" Xander taunted. "Stay! Good goon."

"Infidel!" Ubu croaked as he unsteadily rose...

Click.

...and found himself nose-to-muzzle with Xander's .45 Colt.

"Tough as you are, you're not bulletproof, and you can't serve your master if you're dead," Xander said calmly. "Now what the hell does the Demon's Head want in Smallville?"

"I will die before I tell you."

BLAM!

The bullet buried itself in the wall of the barn.

"That can be arranged."

"That won't be necessary, young soldier," Ra's al Ghul said as he emerged from the crowd. "What I want... is you."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

The Xandman's in high demand hereabouts. Of course, the fact that he's both ruthless and very highly skilled (especially for someone so young) might have something to do with that...


	13. 7: Dullsville 3

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 7: Dullsville (3/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Terra for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: After delivering his two prisoners to Gotham, Xander takes the opportunity to doff the costume and relax.

Author's Note: You'll be seeing a few more elements from the general DCAU here, rather than the Titansverse.

* * *

Ra's al Ghul stepped out from the crowd. "What I want... is you."

"Sorry to disappoint," Xander snarked, "but I don't swing that way."

"How dare you...!" Ubu took a step forward.

"Peace, Ubu," Ra's said, raising a hand. He turned to Xander, "How amusing. If you do have anything over the detective, it is a sense of humor."

"So what do you want with me?" Xander asked. "I thought you wanted the Bat."

"Indeed," Ra's nodded. "But you see, young soldier, Batman has repeatedly rebuffed my offers, and even with the resources at my disposal, I cannot live forever. And I'm running out of time."

Xander rubbed his temples. He was beginning to feel a migraine coming on. "So... you want me to continue your legacy?" He groaned. "Get in line. Besides, don't you think I'm a bit too young for your daughter?"

"On the contrary, your apparent youth is only an asset, ensuring you will live longer than any other candidate with equal experience."

Xander froze. "'Apparent' youth?"

_Does he know? How? How could he know?_

Collecting himself, he shot back in an offended tone, "What, you think I'm old?"

"Your eyes have a weight to them that comes only with experience, young soldier," Ra's leaned in close, "and experience only comes with age."

Xander snorted, "Or dealing with the things I deal with on a regular basis."

"Perhaps," Ra's tilted his head in acknowledgement. "But Batman too, faces such things, and he is much older than you appear, yet in some ways, even he is younger than you. He still clings to ideals you have long since abandoned, ideals I have no use for."

"That kind of youth should never be lost, Ra's," Xander said quietly. "That's what I fight to protect. So that there's still hope for him and others like him."

"Perhaps. But there is also still hope for you, if not the same hope."

"Maybe," Xander shrugged, "maybe not. That's not for either of us to decide. Besides, you have a bigger problem to deal with right now."

He pointed behind Ra's.

"Hello, mercenary," Ra's said, not even bothering to look.

"Ra's," Slade said as he walked up to stand beside him, refusing to look at the older man. "What have I told you about poaching? I saw him first."

"I'm merely giving him another option, mercenary. It is his future at stake here, after all."

"Don't argue semantics with me, old man."

"Semantics? Perhaps," Ra's inclined his head, acknowledging the point. "But why should he learn from the student when he can learn from the master?"

_'Student'? 'Master'?_ Xander thought. _What the hell's going on here?_

"Things have changed, old man, more than you know."

Ra's did not deign to respond, instead giving Xander a penetrating look, "Well, young soldier?"

Xander looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I pick C. Now, Supergirl!"

The two masterminds turned.

Supergirl waved, a huge smile on her face, "Hi, boys."

She punched at the closer one -- Slade -- but he simply leaned his head aside, dodging the punch.

Slade shook his head, "Disappointing. You're late."

"Consider my offer, young soldier," Ra's said. "We will meet again."

Xander snorted, "If you really want an heir, maybe you should look up Isley. I think you'd look sweet together."

"An amusing thought, but I am not that much of a plant person. Goodbye, young soldier."

With that, Ra's -- along with Ubu and the other goons -- left.

Xander let them go; he had more pressing matters to deal with than picking a fight with this world's version of the Order of Taraka.

He leaped at Slade, grabbing him from behind in a full nelson. Supergirl wound up and smashed her fist into his chest...

...then stumbled back and collapsed against a convenient support pillar, muttering in surprise, "Kryptonite?"

"Yes," the robotic Slade double replied, tossing Xander across the barn. "It wasn't hard to adapt the technology."

"But... how did you...?" Supergirl stared at him in confusion.

"Know you would be here?" Slade offered. "That, my dear girl, is why I have no interest in you."

"Supergirl!" Xander cried.

"Kryptonians," the Slade double said with disdain as he turned back to face him, finally giving him a good view of the smashed-open chest cavity in which rested a chunk of the radioactive green substance. "All brawn and no brains. Brute application of raw power and no finesse whatsoever."

Xander raised his Colt and emptied it at the robot.

"Of course," Slade added, "the same could be said about certain young male humans." He tilted his head, "You... are human, are you not?"

Xander holstered the gun... and ran.

"May not have much finesse," he said as he swung the N-Cycle around, "but sometimes, brute force works."

Slade's eye widened as panels popped out, revealing a total of six missiles mounted in the front faring.

The Sladebot had only one final thing to say before being reduced to flaming shrapnel.

"Well played."

Xander leaped off the bike and hurried over, "Supergirl!" He knelt down and gently lifted her head, "Kara, are you all right?"

She blinked up at him, "Hey, didn't know you cared."

"For someone with fifty different kinds of vision, you'd have to be pretty blind for that to be true."

"Hey," she shrugged, "a girl wonders, you know?"

"I just shudder to consider how your aunt and uncle are gonna react," Xander said, shaking his head. "After all, I did nearly get you killed and trashed up a lot of the barn."

"Ehh, they'll get over it," she said. "I'm more worried about what happened to the house..."

"The house?" he blinked. "What happened to the house?"

* * *

"Y'know," Mr. Kent said, "you didn't have to do this."

"Hey," Xander shrugged, "it's the least I could do. I did sorta lead them here, and the damage wasn't as bad as it looked. Besides," he looked at Kara, "Kara helped a lot. Would've taken months if I had to do this with a regular crew."

Mr. Kent ruffled her hair, "Maybe you should stick around. I've never been able to get her to work that much."

"Hey!" Kara glared at him, then looked at Xander. "So... you're leaving now?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "I'll, uh, I'll see you later."

He turned and walked toward his bike, but Kara followed. Leaning in, she asked, "So... what was that about putting me over your knee?"

Xander winced, "You're not gonna hit me, are you?"

Kara gave him a somewhat coy smile, "Not unless you want me to." She leaned in closer and whispered, "Because just between us," she winked, "I'm game if you are."

He swallowed nervously.

* * *

"Hey, all!"

"Welcome back," Cyborg said. "Enjoy your trip?"

Xander shrugged, "Yeah, I guess."

"What'd you do with Joker and Harley?" Robin asked.

"I left them with the Bat," Xander said, then looked around. "Picked up a few souvenirs, too. Kori, catch."

The Tamaranian caught the object he threw at her, blinked at it for a moment, then squealed in delight as she hugged it to her chest. "A tiny huggable replica of Superman! I am overjoyed! Oh, thank you, Xander!"

"Dude, what'd I get?" Cyborg asked.

"Some kryptonite," Xander deadpanned. "Thought you might find it useful. Oh, and I've got some new chrome hubcaps for the T-Car on the way. UPS should be here with them pretty soon."

"Sweet!" Cyborg's faced shifted from disappointment to elation at the mention of the hubcaps.

"Raven, Robin," Xander pulled out a pair of books, handing the glossy yellow one to Robin and the older worn one to Raven.

"'Tobin's Spirit Guide'?" Raven raised an eyebrow.

"First edition," Xander said. "Tobin knew what he was talking about. We used it a lot back home."

"...thanks."

Robin's eyebrow was twitching, "'Relationships for Dummies'?"

"Open it up."

Robin did and scowled at the note within. It read: "And when you meet her, DON'T screw it up, Boy Dunder."

He twitched a little more.

"Beast Boy!" Xander called, running up and dropping a photograph in the green shapeshifter's lap. "Autographed Nimoy photo," he sang.

"Yay."

Xander frowned and rejoined the others, "What's with BB?"

"It's Terra," Cyborg said.

"Terra?"

"Yeah," Robin nodded. "She can manipulate earth and rock. Showed up while you were gone and helped us fight Slade, but she ran off thinking Beast Boy had told us about her trouble controlling her powers."

"Oh."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

All those robots... Slade must've been very successful in his heyday to be able to afford all of them.


	14. 8: Glimpses of a Dark Future

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 8: Glimpses of a Dark Future (1/1) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Terra for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Robin learns more than he bargained for about the future.

Author's Note: This is a conversation that really needed to be had, but it didn't really fit at the end of Dullsville.

* * *

Xander cracked his door open and peered through, "Robin, what's up?"

"Can I come in?"

Xander swung the door open wide, but said nothing. Robin entered and looked around. The place looked like a tornado had hit it. Shaking his head, he stood and looked out the window.

"Nighthawk, before you left, you said something... something about what Joker was going to do." He turned, "What was it?"

"I... can't say for sure," Xander hedged. "There are things that are different from what I remember, conflicting little details here and there."

"Like what?"

"Like you."

"Me?" Robin looked at him in surprise.

Xander nodded, "You're supposed to be older and using the Nightwing identity by now, in Bludhaven or Gotham, not here in Jump, still wearing the Robin suit. Either that, or you're supposed to still be in Gotham working with Batman."

"If I'm supposed to be older, maybe that doesn't happen until later?"

"Maybe," Xander said skeptically. "Listen, Dick, I'm drawing from a number of sources here, okay? The series about the Titans never fit with the ones about Batman or Superman or the Justice League, but I'm seeing evidence that they're all in this world, just with a few details wrong."

"Like me."

"Yeah," Xander said. "I know you're Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne's ward and the progenitor of the Robin identity; your parents, killed by Tony Zucco."

Robin's eyes narrowed, "Go on."

"The problem is, by the time the Justice League is formed, you should be Nightwing, not Robin, and there should already be another Robin operating in Gotham, the son of a two-bit crook who made the mistake of crossing Two-Face."

"But that hasn't happened."

"No, it hasn't. And that's what worries me," Xander's voice dropped. "What Joker is going to do -- the last thing he does before he dies -- taints the Robin suit forever. In the shows, it was Tim... but here, it might be you."

"Stop dancing around it," Robin growled. "What does he do to him?"

"He tortures and brainwashes him, turns him into a miniature version of himself, and implants him with a microchip that will allow him to take over his body and return about forty years later."

Robin gasped.

"Sorry, Dick," Xander said, turning away. "But you asked, and now you know." He opened the door and looked at Robin, "Anything else?"

"...no, nothing else," Robin said as he left. He paused outside the door and, without looking back, said, "Thanks."

Xander smiled humorlessly at Robin's back, "Anytime."

"Must be rough," Robin said, "knowing things like that."

"I manage," Xander replied. "I've been through worse."

"I'm starting to believe that."

"That's my power, you know," Xander said with a ghost of a real smile. "Seeing, knowing."

And he closed the door.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Next time... well, there's nothing "only" about being human.


	15. 9: Journeyman Prologue

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 9: Journeyman (0/5) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Only Human for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: With some assistance, Slade presents one of the Titans with a choice.

Author's Note: About that last postscript, it's based on the name of the episode in which the original version of the opening scene occurred.

* * *

"Humans provide no challenge," Atlas commented. 

An explosion suddenly rocked the huge robot off his feet. Atlas shook his head and looked over his shoulder at the gaping hole in his armor.

"Who?" he demanded.

Cyborg looked up and saw Nighthawk crouched in the opening Atlas had blasted in the side of Titans' Tower -- and through their big-screen TV! -- lowering a rocket launcher. "Hey, tin man! Up here!"

With the quick application of a grapple-line, Nighthawk lowered himself to the ground and grinned ferally, "You want a challenge? Well, I challenge you. And I'll only use one weapon."

"You? Challenge me?" Atlas snorted derisively.

"I'm the only one here who's managed to hurt you."

"Valid point. Challenge... accepted."

"Good. Cyborg! Shut down your systems!"

"What? Why?"

"Just do it!"

Cyborg swallowed hard, nodded... and shut down his systems.

The world went black.

* * *

As vision returned, Cyborg blinked and looked up, "Hey, what happened?" 

"EMP grenade," Nighthawk replied.

"Cool," Cyborg nodded, "and I thought I had a lot of gadgets."

"You do," Nighthawk said. "I just have more."

"Does the word... 'paranoid' mean anything to you?" Beast Boy raised an eyebrow.

"We did end up needing it, didn't we?" Nighthawk shot back.

Robin shook his head as he picked up the EMP grenade, "You remind me more and more of the old man every day, Nighthawk. And I don't think that's a good thing."

"Someone's gotta keep a level head around here."

Robin frowned and looked over, "Nighthawk, why does your EMP grenade have Batman's symbol on it?"

"Umm..."

"I'm not gonna like the answer to that, am I?"

"No, probably not."

* * *

"Master Bruce, we have a problem." 

"What is it, Alfred?" he replied, not looking away from the Batcomputer.

"I was doing an inventory of your supplies and found some of them... missing. And this note in their place."

Bruce turned and took the note. It was in a barely legible scrawl.

--

Batman,

Just letting you know I'm borrowing some of your stuff.

--Nighthawk

--

Alfred watched his employer carefully. What happened next was not what he expected.

"Heheheh... hahahahaha!"

"Master Bruce?"

After a moment, the Dark Knight collected himself and looked up at Alfred, "Boy's got nerve. I like him."

The butler gave a resigned sigh.

* * *

"I'm not even gonna ask where the rocket launcher came from," Robin concluded. 

"Good idea," Nighthawk nodded, then turned and headed for the Titans' Tower entrance.

Robin twitched.

* * *

"Children, Deathstroke?" the larger man hurled the files on the desk and glared at Slade. "You want me to attack children? Is this some sort of joke? Where is the challenge in that?" 

"Oh, I assure you, old friend, it's no joke," Slade replied. "And the challenge," he rose to his feet, "is that I want them alive. Alive and intact. Is that challenge enough for you?"

"Perhaps, but do not call me that. We were enemies as often as we were allies, Deathstroke. Why do you want me to avoid this one?" the larger man asked, pointing at one of the files.

"I have something... special... planned for him."

"I see."

* * *

It was the night after the abbreviated fight with Atlas, and the city status display on the backup monitor was flashing red all over the map. 

"We've got alerts all over the city," Robin said. "Beast Boy, take the zoo, round up those animals. Starfire, Raven, get to that fire downtown. Cyborg, stay here and monitor everything. Nighthawk, you and I'll take the bank robbers." He looked at the Titans, "Everyone got it?"

There were nods all around.

"All right. Titans! Go!"

* * *

"...help me..." 

Starfire halted in mid-air, then spun and dove into the burning building toward the voice. "Raven, I am going in! There is someone in there!"

Raven nodded, "Hurry! The building's about to collapse. I don't know how long I can hold it!"

Starfire looked around, "Hello? I am here to help."

"I know."

She turned and gasped in surprise, right before the blow landed.

"One down. Four to go."

* * *

"Starfire!" Raven called. "C'mon... can't... hold... much... longer..." 

As if her words were a cue, the building collapsed. Raven slumped over and looked up, "Starfire!"

Through her exhaustion, she didn't notice the man sneaking up on her.

"That makes two."

* * *

The roar echoed, scaring the elephants back. The green tyrannosaur looked around as the zookeepers got the last of the herd back, then shifted back into human form. 

"Heh," Beast Boy grinned, "not bad." He caught movement in the bushes, "Huh?"

Loping along in cheetah form, he went to investigate.

Thwip!

Beast Boy reverted to human form and blinked at the dart sticking out of his arm, "Hey! What's the... big... i-... -dea...?"

His eyes rolled up, and he collapsed.

"Three."

* * *

"Wha- hey!" Cyborg blinked as the lights and monitor cut out. 

Grumbling, he rose and headed for the fusebox.

"Now, what the heck is going on here?" he muttered, scratching his head. "Circuit breakers don't turn off by themselves."

"Very good."

"Who's there?" Cyborg turned to the voice, raising his sonic cannon, as something attached itself to his chest...

"Oh, no."

...and started draining his power cell.

"Just one more."

* * *

"They're splitting up!" Robin called. 

"I got the one on the left!" Nighthawk replied. "You take the right!"

"Got it!"

Robin swerved right on the R-Cycle even as Nighthawk swerved left astride the N-Cycle. Minutes later, he swerved to a halt.

"This is too easy," he murmured.

"Yes, and that should have been your first clue."

Robin spun, and a birdarang practically leapt into his hand. His eyes widened in recognition.

"Bane."

* * *

Author's Postscript: 

Well, how's THAT for a teaser?


	16. 9: Journeyman 1

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 9: Journeyman (1/5) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Only Human for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: With some assistance, Slade presents one of the Titans with a choice.

Author's Note: Final showdown time, folks.

* * *

"I have come for you, little bird."

"You'll have to catch me first, Bane," Robin retorted as he flung a quartet of birdarangs and fired a grapple-line. As he shot up, Bane negligently batted them out of the air and walked over to the building Robin had grappled, smashing his fist into it, shaking the entire building.

"Wh-whoa!" Robin lost his grip, then fired another grappler to another building.

"Oh, boy," Robin muttered as he landed on the roof and pulled out his communicator. "Titans!" he called...

...just as the R-Cycle came sailing into him.

Robin blinked and shook his head clear. After a moment, he wriggled out from under the R-Cycle and looked up.

Bane looked down at him, "No more running, birdling."

Robin rose and drew his staff, then lunged into a flurry of strikes that struck Bane repeatedly.

"Feh," Bane snorted, grabbing Robin by his shirt front, "you're too weak to hurt me."

"Maybe," Robin said, "but strength isn't everything." With a quick flick of the wrist, he hurled several gas pellets into Bane's face.

Coughing, Bane dropped the Boy Wonder, waving the gas away. "Clever," he said. "Batman taught you well."

He looked up... just in time to see Robin pole-vaulting into a flying kick.

Bane stepped to the side and wrapped his massive hand around Robin's head, smashing him into the side of an air conditioner, caving in the side of the ventilation unit.

Robin groaned as he slumped over.

Bane picked up Robin and inspected him, then sighed.

"Not bad, little bird, but still not the challenge I was hoping for."

* * *

Xander swerved the N-Cycle to a halt. After restraining the bank robbers, he had immediately gone looking for Robin. The abbreviated transmission -- and his inability to raise any of the other Titans -- definitely fell in the "worrisome" category.

Xander looked around and dismounted. He knelt by the birdarangs on the ground, then ran a hand over the hole smashed into the building. Turning his gaze up, he saw a grappler dangling from the same building.

No other sign of Robin or the R-Cycle.

He fired his own grappler and shot up... then spotted the R-Cycle.

"Damn," he murmured as he traced a finger along the handprints squeezed into the R-Cycle. "Whoever did this has been eating his wheaties."

That would have been bad enough, but the whole thing smelled fishy.

It smelled like a trap.

And after losing his eye, he had gained a whole new perspective (no pun intended) on traps.

* * *

"And someone is being very, very obvious about baiting this trap," Xander muttered sourly as he looked at the monitor. The main monitor was still slagged from Atlas's rude arrival, but there were plenty of backups, as well as a secondary operations center.

All five of the other Titans' transponders were clustered together, though the location didn't match up to any building on the map.

"Which means... underground," he murmured as he swapped out the Jump City map for a map of the sewer system, then the closed up sewer networks that were no longer in use, then the subway, and finally the abandoned subway line.

"Bingo."

* * *

Robin groaned and blinked his eyes open... then launched himself at the bars of the cage he was in.

"Slade!"

"Robin," Slade nodded, then shook his head and sighed. "And I had such high hopes for you."

Looking around, Robin saw Beast Boy and Cyborg in similar cages. It looked like the cages were mobile. He turned back to Slade, "What do you want from us?"

"For the moment... nothing. You've been quite the disappointment, Robin."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said," Slade replied. "Make yourselves comfortable, Titans. You'll be here a while."

* * *

Xander parked the N-Cycle in the sewer pipe. Down here, it was a lot safer -- and its upgrades more easily accessible -- than it would be up on the street. With a great deal of trepidation, he headed for the access door that should lead to the subway tunnel.

He knew it was probably a trap. Whoever it was that had the other Titans hadn't gone after him, which meant either they were bait for him... or whoever it was had made the same mistake Slade had in underestimating him and was stupid enough not to think of transponders... which really was too much to hope for.

After all, they were smart enough to capture the other Titans.

And there was nothing he could do but spring it.

His eye was throbbing in anticipation as he crept along the track, below the lip of the darkened subway station platform. He cautiously peered over the edge.

Nothing. Nothing he could see, anyway. NVGs were unfortunately too bulky to incorporate into the costume.

Looping around carefully, he climbed the maintenance access stairs and held himself at the corner. He spun around the corner, then blinked as floodlights suddenly blinded him.

"You know, that's getting really old."

"Hello, Nighthawk."

"Slade," Xander glared through the spots in his eyes. Slade was standing in the center of the subway platform, and there were several modifications to the station, including a large curtain partitioning off the back of the station.

"So good to see you again," the retired mercenary said. "I've been thinking about the last two times. You were reckless. You made some very stupid mistakes, all for the sake of a girl. Which makes me wonder, how far would you go... for the sake of three?"

He pushed a button on his remote, and one side of the curtain drew back, revealing a transparent cube.

Inside were Starfire and Raven... and Jinx. And a steadily rising level of water.

"NObody hurts my girls!"

BLAM!

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Ting! Ting ting ting! Ting ting ting!

"Tsk tsk, you really should know better by now, Nighthawk."

Xander roared and launched himself at Slade, who simply backhanded him off the platform.

"Nighthawk!" Starfire and Jinx both cried as they banged the walls of their prison.

"Now, hush and let me finish," Slade said. He gestured to the transparent box, "This is a Thanagarian holding cell. It disrupts magical energies... and is quite durable enough to resist even a Tamaranian's strength. As you can see, it is slowly filling up with water."

Slade looked at him and continued, "But you can save them. All you have to do to stop the water is throw one of those levers behind you. However," he pressed another button his remote, and Xander turned as a section of the wall opposite the platform opened up, revealing three vats of an unpleasant-looking green liquid, with a cage above each, containing Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy, "it will also release the corresponding cage, dropping one of your other friends into the vat of acid beneath him. One life for three, Nighthawk. All you have to do is kill one of them, and I let the other two and the girls go. Or do nothing and walk out with your three friends... after watching your girls drown."

"Drop dead, asshole!" Xander snarled as he charged, vaulting back onto the platform.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Time and time again, the answer's always been the same.


	17. 9: Journeyman 2

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 9: Journeyman (2/5) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Only Human for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: With some assistance, Slade presents one of the Titans with a choice.

Author's Note: Final showdown time, folks.

* * *

Starfire watched anxiously as Nighthawk attacked Slade. She turned to look at Jinx and Raven, sloshing the ankle-deep water.

"We are... 'his girls'?" she asked. "I do not understand."

"I can make a few guesses," Raven said.

Starfire frowned, "Does this mean he finds us... desireable?"

Raven looked at her and shook her head, "I'm not going to answer that."

"Nighthawk!" Jinx cried, drawing their attention back to the fight.

* * *

"You're strong, Nighthawk, but you need to work on your speed," Slade said calmly as he pinned Xander to the wall in a choke hold. "What are you going to do now, boy?"

"This," Xander said as he brought his foot up between the ex-mercenary's legs.

Beneath his mask, Slade smirked, "Did you really think I wouldn't wear a cup?"

Xander sighed and shrugged, "It was worth a try."

"And that's one reason I like you, boy," Slade smiled beneath his mask. "Unlike your idealistic friends, you're persistent enough to try anything to achieve your goals."

Xander rolled his eyes, "If this is the start of some recruitment speech, skip it. I've heard it all before, and I ain't interested."

"Hmm... pity," Slade said, then threw him to the floor. "You're almost perfect. So much potential."

Xander reached down to his utility belt and hurled something back at Slade, "Here, catch."

"Wha-?" Slade caught the object out of reflex. His eye widened in surprise and he immediately tried to throw it away.

"Surprise."

It detonated a split-second after it left Slade's hand.

* * *

"Nighthawk!" Jinx and Starfire cried, pushing themselves against the wall of their potential coffin -- now knee-deep in water -- in a futile attempt to break free or at least get a better look, but the dust cloud made it impossible to make out anything in detail.

They could see Nighthawk, but where was Slade?

"Nighthawk!" Starfire called. "Behind you!"

* * *

Xander turned at Starfire's warning, just in time to duck another punch, then take bruises blocking a pair of follow-up kicks.

Slade looked at him, the left sleeve of his shirt ending in bloody tatters.

"You impress me more and more each day, Nighthawk," he said, seemingly unbothered by the missing limb. "Guns, bombs, a willingness to kill..."

"Just shut up and die, you bastard!" Xander snarled as he launched a series of punches.

"Robin would have been a worthy apprentice, Nighthawk," Slade commented as he weaved through the blows, "but you... you are exceptional. We're more alike than you think."

"Wrong on both counts," Xander said as he stepped back and reached behind him. A quick flick, and a stick extended into a short staff; a snap, and the head was attached, all while carefully watching his opponent. "I know exactly how much we have in common, Slade, and I have nothing to learn from you."

He charged.

* * *

Robin watched in impotent anger as Slade and Nighthawk went at it again, though now, Nighthawk had what appeared to be an axe in hand. It was no secret that he didn't approve of Nighthawk's methods, let alone his reasoning behind them, but the fact that Slade was more impressed with Nighthawk's ruthlessness and methods than anything else...

It made him furious! And... jealous?

While it hadn't been fun being the center of Slade's attention, being targeted to take over his bloody work, that there was now a more 'acceptable' heir in Slade's sight -- one who was willing to fight back on a level that Robin's own training with the old man forbade -- galled him.

_This is insane,_ he thought, shaking himself away from the train of thought. He didn't want to be Slade's apprentice.

"Cyborg, since when did he carry an axe?"

"'Bout a month and a half now," Cyborg replied. "He talked to me about it right after that thing with the serrakin demons."

"I see," Robin's head dropped. "How much power do you have left?"

"Not enough," Cyborg shook his head. "I'd've blasted us out of here already if I could."

"DAMN IT!" Robin slammed his fist into the floor of his dangling cage, then went back to tracking the fight.

* * *

"Interesting choice of weapon," Slade commented. "A bit unwieldy, though."

"What can I say?" Xander shot back. "There's nothing quite like splitting your enemy's skull open like an overripe melon."

That said, Xander moved to match action to words.

* * *

"Cyborg, what can that blade cut through?"

Slade jerked back in surprise as Nighthawk checked his swing, slashing open the assassin's remaining arm, even as Cyborg answered, "Most body armor, some of the lighter metals."

* * *

"Impressive."

"'Impressive'?" Xander repeated. "'Impressive'? I blew your f---ing arm off, your other arm's bleeding like a stuck pig, and all you have to say is 'impressive'!"

Slade tilted his head, "I'm very hard to impress."

"Could ya do me a favor?" Xander asked sardonically.

"Hmm?"

"Say, 'None shall pass.'"

"Hardly the time for jokes, boy. Your girls are running out of air... and time."

With a snarl, Xander charged, and Slade's eye narrowed. As Xander approached, Slade grabbed the haft of the axe, twisted his grip, and rammed the butt into his gut. Xander grunted and stumbled back, then found the haft smashed into his face, and he fell on his butt.

"You shouldn't lose control, Nighthawk. It makes you... vulnerable," Slade said as he stood over him. "So, no weapons, no friends... what do you have left, Nighthawk?"

Xander rose, reached for his shoulders, and answered calmly, "My cape."

Slade blinked in surprise as the weighted end slammed of said cape into his side.

His left side, where the wound from the bomb was still raw.

He howled in pain and reversed his grip on the axe, reflexively lashing out, but Xander backed away, wrapping the top end of his cape around his hand.

"Round two, Slade. Ding ding."

With those words, he hauled off, and Jinx winced at the punch that landed on Slade's jaw, staggering him enough to make him lose the grip he had on the weapon.

The Titan followed up with a another blow from the cape, this one to the side of the head. Slade shook his head clear... and dropped to the ground.

The next thing Xander knew, he was flat on his back, with Slade's hand crushing his throat. After a moment of struggle, he grabbed the weighted end of the cape and smashed it against Slade's head once, twice, three times, until Slade rolled off him.

Xander picked himself up, rubbing his throat, "I thought you wanted me alive, Slade? What's the matter? Losing control?"

"I never lose control, Nighthawk. I merely know when to press the advantage."

"Really?" Xander said, smashing the cape down towards Slade's chest. "Me too."

Slade rolled out of the way and rose to his feet. Xander could see the cut in his arm was already healed. "As I said, impressive, but you have a great deal to learn." He reached behind his back and pulled out a rod that telescoped into a staff. "I believe this... is round three."

"Ding ding."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Whoo-ee! This is probably the longest fight scene I've ever written.


	18. 9: Journeyman 3

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 9: Journeyman (3/5) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Only Human for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: With some assistance, Slade presents one of the Titans with a choice.

Author's Note: Final showdown time, folks.

* * *

"Round three" was vicious and brutal. No quarter asked, no quarter given. Both knew that there would be no more lulls and little banter.

The clock was ticking, and the water was now reaching past chest-level on the girls, and Xander was running out of time.

_Pack in danger! Enemy! Kill!_

_Not... now!_ Xander mentally rebuked the hyena. _Can't win that way!_

Xander parried the staff, then twisted his cape, trying to wrench the weapon from Slade's hand, but the staff slid out like a greased bolt of lightning... and struck just as fast, snaking through his defenses.

He stepped back and swung the cape, but Slade struck the weighted end, deflecting it off-course, and brought the other end up toward his face. Xander twisted out of the way, hearing it whistle past his ear, and struck with another weapon.

It was his last throwing blade, the others already scattered across the floor during "round one."

Slade knocked it out of the air with a negligent spin of his staff. "You'll have to do better than that."

He was right, and Xander knew it. Slade was better trained, more experienced. Stronger, faster, and obviously tougher. It was devolving to a battle of attrition, and with Slade's regeneration, Xander knew he would lose.

He had to change that.

Slade started in surprise as Xander hurled something at him. The grenades detonated, emitting green gas that quickly filled the area.

"Tsk, underestimating me again, Nighthawk?" Slade scolded. "My mask is fully shielded against gas."

Suddenly, something rammed into his right side, knocking the staff from his hand as something bit into his side. He rolled with the impact, emerging from the gas cloud.

Xander stepped out, axe in hand and a gas mask strapped to his face.

Slade smiled, "Innovative." That Nighthawk was the first to recognize that he had a blind side... well, Robin had been a disappointment in more ways than one.

Xander answered with a swing of the axe, but as Slade moved to avoid it, he suddenly reversed the axe's swing, slamming the butt into Slade's gut, then bringing the axe head back down.

Slade rolled out of the way and rose unsteadily to his feet, "Very good. You're learning."

Xander swung his cape around, and Slade easily stepped in and parried it. The cape wrapped around Slade's arm... and Xander pulled, yanking Slade off-balance and swinging the axe into Slade's left side.

He grunted, and Xander smashed his fist -- still wrapped around the half the axe -- into his face, then twisted and wrapped the cape around Slade.

"Gotcha."

"Seriously, Nighthawk," Slade said, "how long do you think this will hold me?"

"Long enough," Xander replied, dropping the axe and pulling something out of his belt, which he slapped on the weighted end of the cape.

"Goodbye, Mister Wilson."

Then, he dove off the platform.

BOOM!

* * *

"Nighthawk!" Jinx and Starfire swam back to the wall nearest the fight; the explosion had knocked them back. They now barely had enough room to keep their heads above water without hitting the ceiling, and only so long as they stayed afloat.

As the dust cleared, they saw him peer over the platform and look at them... and he turned and ran.

Raven's eyes narrowed, and she said, "He left us."

"He'll be back," Jinx assured her.

"How can you be so sure?"

Starfire turned to Raven in astonishment and asked, "How can you doubt him, Raven?"

"Well," Raven looked around, "do you think he could have at least gotten us out of this deathtrap first?"

"Maybe he could not get us out with what he has?" Starfire suggested. "Perhaps he went to go get... oh, what did he call it...? Ah, yes, a 'can opener'?"

"He'll be back," Jinx repeated, grinding her teeth. She looked at Raven, "He's your teammate. Why don't you trust him?"

"He's your enemy. Why do you?"

"I trust him, Raven."

"You trust everyone, Starfire, even when you shouldn't." Raven looked back at Jinx, "Well?"

"I trust him because he nearly died to save my life, both in going with me after Slade and then when the church started to collapse," Jinx said softly, "I trust him because he was kind to me when one else was, and... I trust him because he trusted me." She looked back at them and grinned, "The fact that he's cute and a great kisser doesn't hurt."

Raven warily eyed the bubbling water and wafts of steam coming from around Starfire for a moment, then said, "Somehow I'm not surprised you think he's cute."

Jinx snorted, "Like I'm the only one here who thinks so. Right, Starfire?"

"You... have kissed him?" Starfire asked carefully.

"Well..." Jinx looked away coyly.

"Wait," Raven interrupted, desperate to head off disaster. It would probably get them out, but it wouldn't do any good if they died in the process. "Didn't Robin mention this?" She looked at Jinx, "You blackmailed him, offered information for it."

"Hmph!" Starfire looked away from Jinx. "I should have known. Manipulative grimplork."

Jinx raised a confused eyebrow, "Huh?"

"We... probably don't want to know."

Any further discussion was interrupted by the sound of the N-Cycle's engine as it suddenly raced past the platform, then up the access stairs. Nighthawk swerved the bike to a halt, facing the Thanagarian holding cell.

"Get back!" he called as he pressed a button.

Raven stared at the six missiles that emerged from the front faring, then shot back incredulously, "You've GOT to be kidding!"

"Got any better ideas?" he replied.

"Something that doesn't involve you shooting us?" she suggested.

"I'm waiting," Nighthawk said after a moment. "I don't know if you've noticed, but we're running out of time here."

Raven growled and swam back.

Xander prayed this would work, as he was out of ideas, and once the missiles were gone, he would also be out of explosives.

He fired. And waited. And prayed.

He didn't have to wait long. Before the dust even cleared, he found himself pinned between two very wet bodies.

"Awk!"

"Nighthawk!" Jinx and Starfire cried in stereo.

Xander swallowed and thought, _I will not look; I will not think about what's pressed up against me... I ... will..._ That train of though died rather quickly due to the innocent -- or perhaps, in Jinx's case, not so innocent -- rubbing that the girls were doing as they hugged him, so he tried another track, _God... God, I know we've had this discussion before, but seriously, I need a hand here. Just a little brain aneurysm, and I'd be eternally grateful. I think I've earned it._

Raven watched this as she squeezed her cloak dry, "There is no way I'm joining in on that."

_Thanks for nothing, God,_ Xander thought. He swallowed hard and tried to find something to distract himself.

"So, uh," he said, "what happened to you guys, anyway?"

"Bane," Robin answered from his cage, "and if you don't mind, I'd like to get out of here sometime today."

"Oh, right," Xander said as he carefully pried himself free. He paused and frowned. "Wait," he said, looking back at Robin. "Did you say Bane?"

"Yes, he did," came another voice from behind. A familiar voice.

Xander slowly turned around, and looked up.

"Oh no."

He sighed and thought, _God, I was really kinda hoping for something a little, y'know, quicker and less painful than this. I mean, getting turned into a pretzel by Bane? Kinda not what I had in mind._

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Slade salsa, extra chunky, with a side order of Bane.


	19. 9: Journeyman 4

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 9: Journeyman (4/5) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Only Human for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: With some assistance, Slade presents one of the Titans with a choice.

Author's Note: Final showdown time, folks.

* * *

"Perhaps the Hawk will do better than the Robin."

"Don't count on it," Xander muttered.

He was acutely aware of just how tired and battered he was. Aches and sprains, bruises and scrapes, the lactic acid burning of overtaxed muscle fibers... all were clamoring for attention.

"I am Bane. I will break you."

"I have no doubt you will," Xander agreed.

Then again, maybe he could head it off. He drew his derringer.

Even Bane wasn't bulletproof.

Unfortunately, Bane knew that too, and even as he squeezed off a hasty shot that went wide, the larger man charged, grabbing the gun and crushing it in his massive paws.

"No cheating."

"Leave him alone!" Jinx shrieked as she fired a string of hexes at Bane from mid-air, who sidestepped and rammed his hand into a pillar, ripping out a piece of steel rebar and hurling it at her. It caught her across the middle, and she folded around it and fell.

"Jinx!" Xander cried.

"My turn," Raven said as she levitated pieces of rubble and sent them flying toward Bane.

"I hope you do not mind if I 'cut in'?" Starfire said, sending a barrage of starbolts at Bane.

Xander took the opportunity and raced to Jinx's side, "Jinx, are you all right?"

She blinked up at him and smiled, "Wasn't... sure you cared."

"That's the second time someone's said that," he said, shaking his head. "Y'oughtta know me better by now." He rose and turned back to the fight, eyes smoldering.

Raven choked as Bane stepped out of the dust cloud and grabbed her around the throat. He turned and hurled her head-first at Starfire.

"I am not here for you. I am here for Nighthawk."

"You want me?" Xander asked as he charged, swinging the axe in an overhead swing. "Well, here I am!"

Bane backed away as the axe swung past him. Xander pressed the attack, swinging like a madman, until the axe came to a jarring halt, embedded in the chunk of concrete Bane had blocked it with.

"Yes," Bane grinned as he tossed the concrete chunk aside, ripping the axe from Xander's hands. "Just as I had hoped. Your victory over Deathstroke was no fluke of chance."

Bane cracked his knuckles and swung.

Had he been rested and unhurt, the punch would never have had a chance of hitting Xander. But Xander was exhausted and already thoroughly clobbered, and an abused muscle chose the exact wrong moment to complain. The punch struck him in the side, sending him flying.

"Huh," Xander mused as he struggled to sit up. "I thought you'd be stronger than that..."

"Stronger?" Bane repeated in confusion. "I am Bane! I am the strongest!"

Xander picked himself up and shook his head, "Pal, trust me, you aren't the strongest. Strongest human without a magical aura? Maybe. Strongest, period? No way in hell."

"Then who?" Bane demanded. "Who is the strongest?"

"Oh, I'm sure you've heard of him," Xander said. "Wears blue and red. Big S on his chest. Ring any bells?"

Bane's eyes narrowed. "You mock me."

"Of course I mock you!" Xander retorted. "That's sorta what I do when I'm out of ammo."

_Mental note: Next time, bring more ammo._

"Yo, musclehead!"

Bane turned and took the sonic cannon blast straight to the chest. Cyborg clambered up onto the platform. "You leave my friends alone."

Robin stared. Cyborg had to have disengaged some of his safety limiters to break free. He'd probably burned out his sonic cannon with that last shot.

But it wasn't enough, as evidenced by the fact that Bane was already picking himself up.

"Now, how 'bout a rematch?" Cyborg said coldly. "You, me, no tricks this time."

"Battle a machine?" Bane sneered. "Ridiculous."

"I may be half machine, but I'm still half human," Cyborg said evenly. "What's the matter? Think you're gonna lose?"

"I am Bane. I do not lose."

_Except to Batman,_ Robin thought grimly. _But Cyborg's not Batman. Damn it, I've got to get out of here!_

The two charged each other and collided with such force, it sent faint ripples through the air.

And Cyborg went flying, crashing against the side of the subway tunnel and dropping down to the tracks below. Bane snorted and turned back to his main prey...

...only to receieve an iron rebar across the ribs from Nighthawk. Robin watched helplessly as Bane smiled and grabbed Nighthawk's wrist, turning and hurling him across the subway station and into the ticket booth.

"We're not done yet!"

Bane turned. "So, the little tin soldier still ticks." He glanced over to where Nighthawk lay, then looked back at Cyborg, "It appears I have the time."

Cyborg charged, but this time, they met, hands clasping in a contest of strength. Bane smirked as he caught Cyborg glancing at the power display on his forearm.

"You cannot win," Bane announced. "You are at your limit... and I have not yet begun to approach mine."

"Don't count me out just yet," Cyborg replied. _Disengage all primary safeties!_ the mental command was a desperate cry, but his processors understood, and a surge of additional power coursed through his circuits. The burst of strength forced the surprised Bane a step back.

"So..." the hitman said, his voice strained, "...you have... some strength... after all..."

"Like... I... said..." Cyborg bit out the words, as he disengaged his secondary safeties and began draining his reserve power cell into his servos. The second burst of strength sent Bane backing away and crashing into the wall, and Cyborg stumbled back, finishing his statement, "Don't count me out just yet."

He killed his HUD. The error messages and damage reports were flooding in, and even an external look revealed the cracks in his arm casings.

"Very impressive," Bane acknowledged, picking himself up. "You have bested me. Had this been a year ago, this contest would be over." He smiled as he pressed a button on his wristband, "Fortunately for me, I have... 'improved' since then."

The Venom pumping into him changed from its usual milky blue to a bloody scarlet, and Bane grew. Where he was already massive before, he was now grotesquely huge.

_Oh, no,_ Cyborg thought, just before Bane struck.

The punch cracked his chest plate and sent him flying once again. Cyborg rose unsteadily to his feet and found himself lifted into the air. Bane had an iron grip around his throat.

_Good thing I've got a steel one,_ Cyborg thought as he smashed his fist into Bane's hand, causing him to let go.

Massaging his hand, Bane inexorably approached and said, "You put up a good fight, tin soldier. Now, be a good boy and die."

Before Cyborg could react, Bane grabbed him around the head and hurled him across the subway station, embedding him in the wall. Cyborg pulled himself out and stared in astonishment as Nighthawk struck Bane.

_Where on Earth does he get that kind of stamina?_ Cyborg wondered. _Can't give up now,_ he thought stubbornly as he charged into the fray. _Gotta see this through._

Both his main and reserve power cells were close to drained, but that didn't matter. He wasn't going to let Nighthawk face this giant alone, and he'd be damned if he was going to let a little thing like "design limitations" get in his way.

Hell, he'd already proven he could bypass them if he was willing to pay the price, just like any regular guy.

"Hey, is this a private party, or can anyone join in?" a voice interrupted the battle.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Now, who could this be, hmm? Guesses, anyone?

And Ed, while having Xander tell Bane in detail about his ultimate fate would've been fun, that would mean revealing his hidden advantage.


	20. 9: Journeyman 5

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 9: Journeyman (5/5) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Only Human for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: With some assistance, Slade presents one of the Titans with a choice.

Author's Note: Final showdown time, folks.

* * *

"Hey, is this a private party, or can anyone join in?"

Without waiting for an answer, the newcomer charged in and swung at Bane, causing the hit man to double over.

Xander stared in disbelief, "Ab?"

She looked over her shoulder at him in surprise. "Boss? Hey," she waved.

WHAM!

Abbey went flying across the room, cratering the wall, but she simply picked herself up and said, "Hey, looks like your friends could use your help. I'll take care of this big gorilla."

Xander nodded, "Girls, Cyborg, c'mon!"

"Uhh... shouldn't we help her?" Raven asked, pointing at Abbey.

"Oh, let her have her fun," Xander said, waving it off. "Let's worry about getting the guys out first."

The other four exchanged peculiar looks before following. With the resources they had available to them, it wasn't long before Beast Boy and Robin were free. Some smelling salts, and Beast Boy was conscious again.

"She's beating up Bane," Robin shook his head in disbelief. "With her bare hands. She's trading blows with him."

Xander looked over and sniffed, rubbing an imaginary tear from his cheek, "Yeah, that's my little Abbey... isn't she adorable? I'm glad she's all right."

"She can do that, and you were worried about her?" Beast Boy sputtered.

Xander looked at him like he'd grown two he- err, like he'd look at just about anyone else who'd grown two heads, and replied simply, "Well... yeah."

Robin was still shaking his head, "Looks like she can handle Bane." He looked at Xander, "You killed Slade."

"Kill or be killed," Xander shrugged. "For God's sake, Robin, he was still kicking my ass while missing an arm! What else was I supposed to do? Besides, we've already had this discussion before. Look around; mass firepower worked."

Robin sighed, "Maybe you're right. It's just... that seems like overkill."

"As a very wise man once said, there's no such thing as 'overkill,' only 'open fire' and 'I need to reload.'"

"What wise man said that?" Cyborg asked.

Xander shrugged again, "Dunno, actually, but this wise guy agrees."

"Why am I not surprised?" Raven said, rolling her eyes.

"Nighthawk," Starfire said quietly, "who is this girl, and how do you know her?"

"She's from my world, Star," Xander said. "One of those slayers I told you about."

"I see."

"Hey, Boss!"

Xander looked up to where Abbey stood triumphantly over Bane's prone body.

"Yeah, Ab?"

"What is it this time? Stake, silver, gold, decapitation, castration...?"

Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Robin winced at that one.

Xander chuckled, "Not this time, Ab. This one's human. 'Sides with that Venom crap he pumps through himself, that last one is really kinda redundant. Anyway, I think the humiliation alone will be enough. Add some restraints, and we can drop him off with the JCPD."

"You got it," Abbey said, jumping off the platform and tugging at the rail tracks. "Uhh, a little help here?"

"I would be happy to assist, ward of my friend!" Starfire said as she matched actions to words.

"So, uh," Cyborg said, "I meant to ask this before, but... did I miss something, or do you weigh your cape down with explosives?"

"Stable explosives," Xander corrected. "Plastique, actually. I just yank it out, stick one of these detonators in it, set a time, and voila. The pouch is insulated, so I don't have to worry about anyone tossing lightning at me and setting me off like a firecracker, and if it's compromised, I can just drop the cape."

"All done!" Abbey dropped down, dusting her hands off as Starfire hovered above, the bound and unconscious Bane dangling below her.

"Good job, Ab," Xander said.

Xander climbed up and walked the N-Cycle back to the track tunnel, and together, they all headed out.

After a moment, Abbey started, "So... Boss... those are some nice ti-..."

"Not one word, Ab," he interrupted. "Not. One. Word."

"Or what, Boss?" she replied with an impudent grin. "Gonna turn me over yer knee? Granted, I ain't Janice, but it could still be fun."

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Xander growled. "I had no idea..."

"...that she'd like it? C'mon, Boss, everyone knew she gets off on things like that."

Xander just shook his head and sighed, "Slayers."

"Oh, the other girls are going to be SO jealous," Abbey said, still grinning.

"Why's that?" Beast Boy asked.

"Because I get to see Boss-man in spandex."

"Abbey, drop it," Xander ordered. "Please?"

"Aw, c'mon, I heard of the Speedo incident. And Oxnard."

"Buffy, if I ever get back, I'm going to kill you," Xander muttered sourly as he dropped back next to Cyborg.

"You okay, buddy?"

"I'm fine," Cyborg replied.

"Good," Xander nodded. "Hey, you know anything about powered armor?"

Cyborg whipped his head around. Where had that come from?

"Yeah, I can do a few things," Cyborg said hesitantly. "Why? You lookin' to upgrade? 'Cause I'll tell ya right now, what I can fix up, it'll mess with your fighting style."

Xander shook his head, "Not for regular use. Just something for when the big guns come out. After the beating I just took..." he trailed off.

"That, I can do," Cyborg nodded. "What do you want?"

"Well, I've got a few ideas..."

* * *

"Hey, how about Highlander?" Abbey suggested as they climbed out the manhole cover.

"You're not Scottish," Xander pointed.

"So?" she shot back. "I've got a Watcher."

Xander groaned and shook his head... then noticed something. He looked over his shoulder.

Jinx was standing near the manhole cover they'd exited by, her head down, a thoughtful and somewhat sad look on her face.

"Hey," he called, "you comin'?"

Jinx's head jerked up in surprise, then she smiled and hurried over, "Yeah, sure."

Suddenly, she stopped, noting the distrustful looks the Titans -- all except Nighthawk and that newcomer, Abbey -- were directing her way. After a moment's hesitation, she walked up and pulled Nighthawk into a bone-crushing hug.

"Hey..." Xander said soothingly.

"I can't," she murmured in his ear. "Not yet." She pulled back and kissed him gently on the lips... and flew off.

Xander blinked and shook his head, "...women."

"What's that, Nighthawk?"

"Nothing, Raven."

"How DARE she!"

Xander looked at Starfire quizzically.

"That... that... she... ARGH!"

"Star!" Robin grabbed her arm.

Starfire turned to glare at Robin, her eyes glowing, and replied, "WHAT?"

Robin shrank back, "...nothing..."

Xander blinked and leaned over to Raven, "What's with Starfire?"

_Could she be... nahhh,_ he thought, not noticing Abbey biting her tongue and trying her hardest to not burst out laughing. _She's hooking up with Robin._

Raven just rolled her eyes.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Xander's never been very observant on this front, has he?


	21. 10: Demons Within 1

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 10: Demons Within (1/4) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Fear Itself for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Raven doesn't do fear... or so she says. But some fears are easier to face than others.

Author's Note: A lot of people have been waiting for a resolution on the Raven/Nighthawk issue. Well, you'll only have to wait a little longer.

* * *

"Please! I-I don't even know what 'Warp Trek' is!"

"And that, my little tribble, is why you must be destroyed."

He pressed a button, and a television came to life and stalked toward the hapless video rental clerk... and was promptly blasted by Cyborg's sonic cannon.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my old nemesis... -ses... the Teen Titans!"

"Um, yeah!" Beast Boy said. He leaned over to Cyborg, "Who is this guy?"

Cyborg shrugged, and with a flick of the remote, the overweight villain projected himself on all the TV screens

"I am the master of monsters!" he announced. "I am your darkest nightmares come to life! I am... Control Freak!"

"A couch potato with a souped-up remote," Raven deadpanned. "I'm petrified."

"You will be. You will be," Control Freak told her. He looked around, "But wait! Where's Nighthawk? You wouldn't dare face me without all your members. Aha! So that's it! You won't fool me!"

Robin blinked and held up a hand, "Um, actually..."

* * *

Xander scowled at the monitor. He did not like sitting out a fight.

_Okay, so I've got a few cracked ribs. Doesn't mean I can't fight._

* * *

"Cyborg?" Starfire held out a bowl of candy. "You are certain you do not desire unhealthy sugar candies?"

Cyborg recoiled and moaned, "Make it go away..."

Robin vaulted on to the couch, and Beast Boy began his speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for the scariest night of your lives. Maybe Control Freak's monsters didn't scare you, but this movie is going to freak you out."

"Whatever," Raven said.

"Can't be any creepier than the documentary on hot dogs Starfire made us watch," Robin commented.

"It was fascinating!" Starfire said. "I had no idea that Earth people ate so many pigs. And insects."

Abbey screwed her face, "Ew!" As Cyborg emptied the contents of his stomach behind the couch, she added, "And I am so not cleaning that up."

"Yeah, yeah, bugs in hot dogs, big deal," Beast Boy said, waving it off. He picked the tape back up. "This movie is supposed to be cursed."

"I've seen curses," Xander said. "You can't distribute a curse over electronic media. We've tried."

Beast Boy twitched, but otherwise ignored him, "When people watch it, strange things happen." He leaned in, "Evil things." Leaning back, he cackled maniacally as lightning crashed outside.

"Just start the movie," Raven told him.

* * *

Beast Boy peeked out over the top of the couch, "Is it over?"

"I dare not open my eyes to find out," Starfire replied.

"Now I'm really sick to my stomach," Cyborg added.

"I've fought psychotic villains, robot commandos, and giant oozing monsters," Robin said, "but that is the scariest thing I have ever seen."

After a moment, the Titans -- sans Nighthawk and Raven -- burst out into laughter.

"Did I tell you or did I tell you?" Beast Boy asked.

"Thrilling, Beast Boy!" Starfire complimented. "It was wonderfully horrible!"

"Yeah," Cyborg said, "when she went into the basement..."

"...and it was right behind her, and she turned and..." Robin continued.

"I was freaking out!" Cyborg grinned. "I wanted to turn it off," he admitted.

"Not bad, Furball," Abbey said with a shrug. "Didn't that monster look a bit like that s'krakken demon we killed about a month before coming here, Boss? Boss?"

Beast Boy leaned over to Raven, "So... come on, Raven, admit it. You were totally scared."

"I don't do fear."

Rolling his eyes, Beast Boy turned to the other skeptic, "What about you, Nighthawk? You were scared, weren't you?"

The only answer he got was... a snore?

Beast Boy blinked, "Nighthawk?"

"Xander?" Starfire called anxiously. "Are you well?"

He snorted and coughed and jolted upright, blinking at the others, "Huh? What?"

"Dude!" Beast Boy's jaw dropped. "How could you sleep through that?"

Xander snorted again, "You guys thought that was scary? I've dated worse. Just thinking about Miss French..." He shook his head and shuddered.

Raven raised an eyebrow, "You... dated..."

"Hey!" he held up his hands defensively. "She looked human at the time!"

"What about Ampata and Lissa?" Abbey prodded.

"They looked human too."

"Faith? Cordelia? Anya?"

"Were human when I was with them. And, I might add, I didn't technically date Faith, and she stayed human."

"And this Miss French is...?" Robin asked.

"A giant preying mantis who wanted a virgin to first fertilize, then feed her eggs. Had a cage and everything." He blinked at the stares, "What? I was barely sixteen then! Cut me some slack."

"You're sixteen now," Raven pointed out.

"No," he corrected, "I'm twenty-six. I just look sixteen."

* * *

Raven looked around her room.

"Maybe I should consider redecorating."

After another look around, she lay back down and settled back to sleep.

That's when she heard the scream.

* * *

"Who screamed?" Raven asked, looking around. Five of the six Titans -- along with their guest who was still looking for a codename -- had gathered in the operations center.

"I don't scream," Abbey said with a snort. "And that scream was way too sissy." A thought struck her, "Beast Boy?"

"Hey!"

"Sounded like something from the movie," Robin said. "Did we leave the TV on?"

"We did not," Starfire said, and picked up the tape. "And the movie is right here."

It was at that point that the lights died.

"Okay," Cyborg said. "That's creepy." A panel on his shoulder popped open, and a small flashlight emerged, and he scanned the ops center.

"The storm," Robin concluded as he stepped into the light. "Probably just tripped a circuit breaker."

A tentacle rested on his shoulder, and Robin raised a knowing eyebrow as Starfire, Cyborg, and Raven cried out.

"Okay, Beast Boy," he said with a smile, "you got us." He pushed the tentacle off, "Good one."

"Uh... dude?" Beast Boy said... from in front of him.

Robin's eyebrows shot up, and he turned, Cyborg's flashlight panning across to the origin of the tentacle.

It was the monster from the movie.

Ripping off the coat to reveal itself in its full gruesome glory, it roared.

After a moment, it tossed the couch aside and attacked. The battle was joined.

"Where's Nighthawk!" Robin called.

"Right here."

BLAM!

Raven spun angrily. "Hey, watch it! You nearly shot me! The monster's..." she trailed off and backed away.

"Right in front of me," Nighthawk finished as he stalked toward her, leveling his Colt. "Isn't that right, demonspawn?"

* * *

In the infirmary, Xander yawned, rolled over, and tried to get back to sleep.

* * *

Author's Postcript:

Well, isn't that interesting?


	22. 10: Demons Within 2

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 10: Demons Within (2/4) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Fear Itself for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Raven doesn't do fear... or so she says. But some fears are easier to face than others.

Author's Note: A lot of people have been waiting for a resolution on the Raven/Nighthawk issue. Well, you'll only have to wait a little longer.

* * *

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinth-" Raven broke off in surprise. "My powers!"

"Aw, what's the matter?" Nighthawk asked mockingly. "No powers? Now you know how the rest of us feel."

BLAM!

"Raven!" Robin tackled her out of the way as he felt something the bullet impact with his back, stopped by his cape. He looked down, "Raven? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine, Robin. Where is he?"

Robin didn't miss the tremble he heard in her voice even as he helped his teammate to her feet. He looked around and shook his head, "I don't know. He just... vanished."

"Yo!" Cyborg called. "We could use a hand here!"

Robin looked at Raven, "You sure you're okay?"

"Y-yeah," she said, turning to where the others were fighting the monster. "Let's get this monster."

They charged. Robin leaped, but his attack was arrested in mid-air as a tentacle snaked around him and plucked him out of the air. Raven grunted as a tentacle sent her flying.

At which point, the others suddenly collapsed in a pile.

"Someone's claws are on my grebnaks!" Starfire shrieked.

"Heh... my bad," Beast Boy apologized as he and the other Titans got to their feet.

"There was a monster here, right?" Cyborg asked.

"So where'd it go?" Abbey looked around.

"And from where did it come?" Starfire added.

"Hello?" Beast Boy held up the tape. "Isn't it obvious? The movie's curse! Watching it opened a portal to another dimension. The monster came through the portal. Now, it's going to hunt us down and eat us! And I'm probably delicious!"

"Or..." Cyborg started.

"Control Freak must have escaped and come to the Tower to get his remote... and take his revenge," Robin said. He shook his head, "And that's not our only problem."

"What else?" Abbey asked.

"Nighthawk was here," Raven answered. "He tried to kill me."

"No," Starfire shook her head. "I do not believe you. Xander is our friend."

"I'm sorry, Starfire," Robin said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "but she's right." He held up the fired bullet, "This bullet didn't get in my cape by itself. I know what I saw."

"Then it was an imposter!" Starfire shot back.

Abbey's eyes narrowed as she scrutinized Raven, "Why would he try to kill you? The Boss doesn't mark a hit without good reason."

Raven's eyes narrowed in turn, "What are you implying, slayer?"

"You tell me."

"Your 'boss' is a psychotic with a fetish for guns."

"He's also saved me and mine from buying it more times than I care to remember. Trust me, if he's gunning for you, he's got a damned good reason."

"Stop it!" Starfire shrieked, tears brimming in her eyes. "Xander would not do this. He is our friend. We are being distracted by an imposter while Xander is helpless and alone."

Raising an eyebrow, Abbey said, "Alone, maybe, but 'helpless' ain't exactly the word I'd use."

"Still, we must make haste to the infirmary before something happens to him!"

"Um, excuse me?" Beast Boy interjected. "I'm sure Nighthawk's..." he shrank back from Starfire's glare, "...imposter is a major problem and all, but... what are we gonna do about the monster?"

"What else can we do?" Robin asked. "If it's Control Freak, we still have to find him. If it's not..."

"The Boss already told you," Abbey said. "You can't curse a videotape. We've tried." The other Titans looked at her, and she held her hands up defensively, "Hey, it was local warlord. He had four of ours in a slave auction."

"Look, about the monster," Beast Boy said, "why don't we ask the resident monster hunter?"

Abbey blinked and held her hands up again, "Hey, don't look at me. I'm a slayer; I slay. If physical violence don't cut it, well, that's what the Boss is there for. To tell me what sorta violence to use."

"All the more reason we must hurry to the infirmary!" Starfire insisted.

Robin raised an eyebrow, "The infirmary it is."

* * *

Aside from a panic attack from Beast Boy when Abbey jabbed him from behind, they got the infirmary without incident. A shadowy figure stood outside, arms crossed.

"Nighthawk?" Starfire called as she stepped forward, ignoring Robin's gesture for her to stay back. "Xander, is that you?"

His hands flashed, and Starfire jerked back in surprise as the figure blurred into action. She suddenly found herself trapped, an alloyed cable wrapping around her arms and a blindfold over her eyes.

"Don't blink," Nighthawk said, turning to face the others.

"It really is him," Cyborg muttered in shock... just long enough for Nighthawk to dash past him and open up the panel on his back. "Oh, man, no! Get 'im off me! He's hackin' into my systems!"

"Protect Raven!" Robin snapped at Abbey.

"Hacking... hacked," Nighthawk said, closing the panel.

"I don't know what your problem is, but..." Beast Boy charged. Nighthawk turned and somersaulted over him.

WHAM!

Beast Boy's eyes were swirling after he hit the wall.

Robin and Nighthawk faced off.

"I don't wanna hurt you, Nighthawk, but I will if I have to."

"Bring it on, Boy Blunder."

"Rrrarrr!" Robin charged. Nighthawk dropped, bringing his knee straight up between his legs.

No one was quite sure how he did it, but Nighthawk suddenly shot up, slamming his palm into Robin's chin and sending the Titan leader flying.

Nighthawk turned to the last two standing.

"Out of the way, Ab."

"No can do, Boss," Abbey dropped into a fighting stance, "not until I know why. Rule Eight. You wrote those rules yourself." She took a step forward, "Well? Why are you doing this?"

"Because it needs to be done, Ab. She's not human."

"Neither is Starfire," Abbey said. "You going after her next?"

Nighthawk's eyes narrowed, "If I have to."

"Well, that tears it; you're not the Boss," Abbey snapped as she lunged forward with an experimental punch.

"What makes you say that?" he asked, leaning his head to the side.

"He'd never hurt Red like that."

"Of course he would," Raven said quietly. "If it was necessary."

"Good," he smiled at Raven. "You're learning... though it's too late for you, demon."

"There's one other thing," Abbey added.

"Oh?"

"The Boss doesn't talk this much in a fight."

"Bingo," came Xander's voice... from behind Nighthawk, as he tackled the imposter. "Ab, Rae, help the others!"

That snapped them out of their shocked daze, and they hurried to help. Xander turned back to his double and slammed him against the wall.

"Okay, now. I'm getting sick and tired of getting woken up in the middle of the f---ing night," he said, slamming his duplicate against the wall. "You're not even in the goddamned script, and you come barging in here wearing MY costume, using MY gadgets..." he flung the imposter across the corridor, head first into the opposite wall, "...attacking MY girls!"

He cracked his knuckles.

"Oh, you are SO going down."

"Um, is it just me," Beast Boy said, "or is he even scarier than the fake?"

Cyborg shook his head, "You don't mess with a man's tools. It's just not right."

"It was an imposter!" Starfire cried, overjoyed and trying to ignore the sickening crunches coming from where Xander battled his double.

Xander picked up the imposter and hurled him down the hallway. The double rose, looked at them, and fled.

"I knew it could not be you!" Starfire cried as she hugged Xander. "I knew you would not betray us!"

"Ack!" Xander acked. "Ribs... air..."

Starfire pulled back, "Oh, are you all right, Xander?"

"Just... peachy," he said.

"Let me help."

"Huh?"

Xander looked up in surprise. It was Raven.

"Sure," he said, sitting down against the wall.

"I'm... sorry," Raven said quietly.

"Hmm?" he looked at her. "Sorry for what?"

"I thought... I really thought that was you."

"One day, it might be," he murmured sadly, almost too softly for her to hear.

"Nighthawk?"

Xander looked at her and pointed at his face, "Do you see a mask here, Raven? It's Xander, okay?"

"...all right."

"Heeeelp... heeeelp meeee..."

Xander suddenly rose, interrupting Raven's attempt at healing, and looked around, "Did you guys hear that?"

"This way," Robin said.

As he and Robin took the lead, Robin looked over at him and asked quietly, "So, what was that about a script? You know what's going on here?"

"Yeah," Xander said quietly. "Just trust me, Robin. Everything'll be fine."

As they approached Beast Boy's room, Xander hung back and motioned for Abbey to do so as well. Raven shot them a curious look, and Xander shrugged at her.

"Someone's gotta fill me in on what's going on here."

* * *

"Look out, y'all, big scary monkey!" Cyborg laughed. The ghostly voice had been a false alarm: A toy monkey that was asking anyone to "Help me count!"

"Yeah, Raven," Beast Boy laughed. "You shoulda seen the look on your face."

"You mean this look?" she snarled, glaring at him.

"No, that's more angry than scared."

"I already told you, I don't get scared."

Growling interrupted the conversation, and they all turned. It was the same monster from the movie and the operations center.

"Banzai!" Abbey charged.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

I'm so glad I'm not constrainted by a thirty-minute timeslot.


	23. 10: Demons Within 3

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 10: Demons Within (3/4) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Fear Itself for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Raven doesn't do fear... or so she says. But some fears are easier to face than others.

Author's Note: A lot of people have been waiting for a resolution on the Raven/Nighthawk issue. Well, you'll only have to wait a little longer.

* * *

"Banzai!" Abbey charged.

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Xander took a half-step after her as the other Titans blinked in surprise.

"Ab, wait! Rule Two!"

The slayer skidded to a halt and nodded. Xander had hammered his rules into each of his slayers' heads, hard enough that it actually managed to override slayer instincts about half the time.

Rule One was simple: Stay alive. Rule Two was equally simple: Peace through superior firepower. And always bring a gun to a sword fight.

Or -- as one of his slayers, a former missionary before the Call, put it -- "Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition."

"Titans!" Robin called. "Move!"

All seven turned and ran, and the monster followed, its claws scraping against the walls behind them.

"So... Boss?" Abbey said. "That monster... what do you think? S'krakken?"

Xander looked over his shoulder, "...nah. S'krakkens have barbed tentacles with that paralytic poison. That's why we brought the snake antivenom, remember? And its mouths are more round too."

Abbey nodded, "Oh, right." She frowned, "Should we be worried about the spitting venom, though?"

Xander shrugged, "Wouldn't hurt to be prepared."

Beast Boy ran up between them and looked at each of them, "How can you two talk about this so calmly? There's a monster chasing after us, and it's going to eat our brains!"

"Then why are you worried?" Abbey snorted. "Besides, this is pretty normal for a mission back home."

"A bit quieter, actually," Xander mused. "No apocalypse, no vampire minions, no spawning nest."

Abbey shuddered, "You had to bring up the spawning nests."

"Do I wanna know?" Beast Boy asked, his voice and face a little queasy.

"Have you ever seen 'Aliens'?" Xander deadpanned.

Robin looked over his shoulder at them, "Umm... maybe you two should be in charge for this mission."

Xander snorted, "You call this a 'mission,' Rob? Damn it, I feel naked here without my gear." He looked over his shoulder at the monster pursuing them, "And I'm guessing we don't have any volunteers to go back there and get it."

"So, what now?" Robin asked.

"Garage," Xander answered. "Is the new powersuit ready, Cy?"

"Well, almost. I haven't finished installing the weapons yet."

"Will it run?"

"Yeah."

Robin looked at him, "What powersu-ahhh!" He fired his grappler as he tumbled through the door and into the pit beyond. He swung and grabbed Raven around the waist.

Beast Boy transformed into a pterodactyl and dug his claws into Cyborg's shoulders as Starfire wrapped her arms around Xander.

Xander blinked, "Um, hi."

Starfire smiled.

Abbey caught the edge of the pit and was silently thankful for slayer strength and resilience.

* * *

Xander looked out into the hall. "No sign of the critter. Looks like the coast is clear for now."

He and the others stepped out into the hallway.

Beast Boy looked at Raven and said, "Okay. Don't even try to tell me that didn't scare y-ahhh!"

Everyone spun to see tentacles wrapped around the green shapeshifter, and Robin charged, the others a half-step behind, "Beast Boy!"

"I shoulda known!" Beast Boy screamed as it dragged him through an open door into the darkness. "Funny guy goes fiiiiirrrrrsssssttttt!"

The doors slammed shut just as Robin and others got there. Robin tried to force the door open, to no avail.

"Let me try," Abbey said, shouldering past. She kicked the door down to reveal the evidence room.

Starfire gasped, "Beast Boy! He is..."

"...gone," Raven finished.

"Give me some light," Robin said.

"The evidence room," Cyborg noted as his internal light panned around. "What are we looking for?

"Something that shouldn't be here," Robin replied. Aside from his reassurement that everything would be fine, Xander had been remarkably tight-lipped about what was going on, so he had to go with his first instinct.

He picked it up.

"Control Freak's remote," Raven said.

Robin nodded, "Right where I left it."

"But how could he conjure these monsters without his technology?" Starfire asked.

"Maybe he had an extra remote," Cyborg suggested. "I mean, we got, like, nine."

"Now I get it..." Robin murmured. "Control Freak doesn't have anything to do with what's been happening."

"Well, whoever is doing it, they're not gonna scare us," Raven declared.

"Fear!" Robin blurted out. "That's it!" He turned to face the others. "The movie, the monsters, the imposter, Raven's powers... the answer's right in front of us! If Control Freak isn't behind this, it has to be-..."

Suddenly, tentacles wrapped around his head and pulled him up against the wall, and all five of the others scrambled to help him, to no avail.

"ROBIN!" Cyborg called as he pounded the wall the Titans' leader had been pulled through. He slammed his fist into the wall, but there was no sign of Robin or the monster on the other side.

Cyborg looked back, "I don't suppose either of you know what he was about to say."

The three girls shook their heads, but Xander seemed preoccupied.

"Okay," Xander said, "our problem just got worse."

"What do you mean, Boss?"

"Didn't you get a look at those tentacles, Ab?" he turned. "That was s'krakken demon."

"I don't remember s'krakkens being able to walk through walls, Boss."

"Neither do I," Xander agreed. "Garage level. I want my powersuit."

This was starting to freak him out.

* * *

"Garage level," Cyborg announced. "Everything looks clear."

"After this," Xander said, "we hit the basement."

"Good call, Boss."

"The... basement?" Starfire asked in a small voice.

Abbey looked at her, "S'krakkens prefer underground lairs. It's cooler, more humid, and dark. Your starbolts should be a big help, just by blinding it."

"Here it is," Cyborg said, pulling the tarp off.

"Is... it supposed to be glowing like that?" Raven asked.

"Cyborg," Xander said, his voice deceptively calm, "powered armor is not supposed to be powered when no one's in it."

"Ah, but there is someone in it," came a familiar voice from within.

"Aw, crap, not you again," Xander muttered. "Scatter!"

SHOOM!

The blast hit the ground between them, sending the Titans (and Abbey) flying.

"Cyborg!" Xander called as he picked himself up. "I thought you said you didn't install the weapons yet!"

"I said I didn't finish installing them!" Cyborg shot back. "It's still got the sonic cannon!"

"Great," Xander muttered. Whoever this imposter was, he was really starting to get on his nerves. "Starfire, air support! Cyborg, see if you can keep him pinned down!"

Starbolts and sonic blasts peppered the armor, sending it backing away, as Xander bolted.

"Where are you going?" Raven demanded, running up beside him.

"If Cyborg built that thing to my specs," Xander said, "we'll need more firepower to take it down."

He straddled the N-Cycle and started the engine, then hit the gas and swerved to a halt.

Six missiles. More than enough.

He hoped. Better soften it up first. Another pair of weapons popped out. One, a laser, struck the powered armor, super-heating its surface. A flick of a switch later, and the other fired.

Or iced, as the case was, since it was a cryogun. Beneath the ice, the armor plating, over-stressed by the sudden temperature change, began to crack.

And then the missiles flew.

BOOM!

Now armed with the spare gun he kept in a special compartment on the N-Cycle, Xander carefully approached. The powersuit was shattered, and the imposter staggered out.

Xander racked the slide, "Okay, pal, start talking."

The fake smiled... and changed.

Xander swore as he opened fire. S'krakkens were not supposed to be able to shapeshift!

"Run!" Xander called. "Go go go!"

They ran, slamming the door behind them as soon as they were in the stairwell and putting their backs to it.

Thud!

The door rocked... but held.

Xander looked around.

"Shit! Where's Ab?"

* * *

Author's Postscript:

The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah...


	24. 10: Demons Within 4

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 10: Demons Within (4/4) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Fear Itself for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Raven doesn't do fear... or so she says. But some fears are easier to face than others.

Author's Note: A lot of people have been waiting for a resolution on the Raven/Nighthawk issue. Well, you'll only have to wait a little longer.

* * *

"We have to keep going," Xander said calmly, leaning against the door. "We have to- ahh!"

"XANDER!" Starfire shrieked as tentacles emerged from the door and pulled him through. She smashed the door open, but the garage was devoid of life.

"No..." she shook her head in denial.

* * *

He liked the quiet. The darkness, not so much, considering the sorts of things that lurked there back home.

Now, all he could do was wait.

Wait until Raven accepted her fear and released them from this mystical prison, devoid of sensation.

Well, wait and try and figure out who that duplicate was... unless he was another figment of Raven's fears.

Hmm...

Damn it, he didn't even get to use his powersuit before blowing it up.

* * *

Raven's eyes fluttered open, and she found herself looking at the other residents of Titans Tower.

"Raven," Robin said.

"You're all okay?" she murmured in confusion as Cyborg helped her up.

"We were never in any danger," Robin said.

"Say what?" Cyborg asked.

"Did you not see the monsters?" Beast Boy demanded.

"We saw them," Robin said, "but they were never really there."

"Raven was afraid," Xander continued, "but when she wouldn't admit it, the fear had to go somewhere. It found another way out."

"Her powers!" Starfire gasped.

"Once you accepted your fear," Robin told Raven, "you regained control over it."

Xander nodded, "That's why I wasn't too worried at first, why I didn't scramble to the ops center when that scream started this whole thing. I knew this was going to happen, but if Rae found out, it might take even longer for her to accept her fear, knowing that there really wasn't anything to be afraid of."

"You mean Raven made all those creepy-crawlies by accident?" Beast Boy asked.

Blushing, Raven gave a nervous smile, "Uh... sorry?"

"So... if you knew what it was, why'd you start losing it, Boss?" Abbey asked. "If it wasn't real, why blow up your new powersuit?"

He shrugged, "It was the fake me. His presence threw me off. I couldn't figure out where he came from until after Rae's powers nabbed me." He looked at Raven, "So... why are you afraid of me?"

Raven started, "I... I was... it... my father..."

Xander blinked, "Um, I've always known about your father."

"You... have?" she said dumbly.

"Well... yeah," Xander scratched the back of his head. "That's not exactly the sort of detail the comics back home were going to leave out."

"Oh."

"Sunrise," Cyborg announced from his position near the window. He yawned. "Time for bed."

* * *

"Hey."

It was two days after Raven's fears took on a life of their own. They'd spent the previous day unconscious, catching up on much-needed sleep.

Abbey turned her attention away from the weight set just long enough to identify the speaker, "Hi, Robin."

"Thought of a name yet?"

"Was thinking something like... Raptor."

Robin smiled, "Sounds good."

"So what's up?"

Before he could answer, Starfire drifted in. Literally.

"Abbey?"

"Yeah, Red?"

"Did you... speak to Xander?" the Tamaranian girl asked anxiously. "Did you ask him about...?"

"Yeah," Abbey nodded. "He says you remind him of Anya, except way more cheerful."

Robin looked between the two girls, "Umm, who's Anya?"

Abbey's face grew somber, "His, uh, his ex-fiancee. She, uh, died three years back."

"Oh," the two Titans nodded.

"Thank you," Starfire said, and with a thoughtful frown, she turned and left.

Abbey looked back at Robin, "You were saying?"

"It's about Raven," Robin replied. "Is her heritage going to be a problem with you? Or Xander?"

Abbey set the weights down and looked at him, "No. The Boss was always willing to give any particular species of demon a chance. If they've got souls, then it's case by case. If not..." she shook her head. "Raven's definitely got a soul, though. That's where she gets her powers, after all."

"Right," Robin nodded. "It's just... they're acting kinda strange around each other. Even Beast Boy's complaining."

"I know," she said. "You think I didn't notice? The Boss is kinda obvious when he's shutting himself away. I'd tell you, but..." she shrugged.

"Have you tried talking to him about it?"

Abbey snorted, "Hell, yeah. But when I bring her up, he clams up tighter than a virgin's-..."

"Well! Whatever it is, they'd better deal with it soon," Robin interrupted. "I'll give 'em another day before we start doing something about it."

"Is this new, though?" Abbey asked. "I mean, sure, I get that she was afraid of Big Bad Demon Hunter before, but..." she trailed off and raised a questioning eyebrow.

Robin frowned and crossed his arms, "Now that you mention it, he's never been very open around her, not since he first came here. Like he's been watching her, trying to keep her distant. I thought he was just copying the old man." At the questioning look she gave him, he clarified, "Batman."

"Ah," she nodded. After a moment, she shrugged again, "Maybe he knows something about her, something we don't know. I wasn't really a comic or TV fan, y'know; hard to be impressed by that with the kind of life I live."

"I'll bet," Robin grinned. Hunting demons would make your average mugger or pickpocket look like small fry. "Say, care to spar?"

She smiled, "I'll pull my punches."

* * *

Xander and Raven glowered at them.

"Dudes," Beast Boy said, "you two are impossible. Ever since that mess with Raven's oogly-booglies three days ago, the tension between you's been thick enough to cut and serve for dinner."

"Yes," Starfire agreed, "there is much unhappiness between you two."

"They're right," Robin nodded. "Whatever problems you have with each other need to be resolved before affects the team."

Robin closed the door and locked it.

Xander scowled, "Damn it. They just don't understand!" He turned and punched the wall.

"Neither do I."

He spun, "You of all people should!"

"How am I supposed to understand when we haven't had a single civil conversation since then?" she asked, eyes narrowing.

"Don't start," he said. "It's because of your secret that I'm doing this!"

Raven took a step toward him, "My secret? What secret? Doing what?"

"Forget it," he waved it off and turned away. Just... just forget it."

"Answer me!" she demanded, her eyes glowin red, her voice gaining an otherworldly quality to it. Her soulself wrapped around Xander and slammed him against the wall. "What are you talking about!"

"This is exactly what I'm talking about!" he snapped as he dove at her.

* * *

They lay on their backs.

"So..." Xander began.

"So..." Raven replied.

"Checkers?" he suggested.

"Chess," she countered. "We may be here awhile."

"Checkers it is."

Raven looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.

Xander sat up and looked at her, "Oh, come on, you could beat the pants off me at chess any day of the week. While meditating. About ice cream."

"Now there's an interesting mental image," Raven murmured as she too sat up.

* * *

Thirty minutes and two games later, Raven broke the silence as she moved a piece, "Do you hate me because I'm half demon?"

"Huh?" Xander stared. "No! Heck, no. I don't hate you, and I've got nothing against demons unless they try to hurt my friends or end the world or something like that." He shot her a wry look and added, "I'd like to point out that I dated most of the female demons the gang back home had to fight. It's just..."

"What?"

He sighed and looked away, "Remember how I said that, in my world, all this is a cartoon?"

"Yes."

"Well... through that... I know what you've got locked up inside you. I know about Trigon and Red Raven and his 'gems.' And I guess I've been trying to keep you distant so that if I have to..." he trailed off.

"You can kill me," she finished. "I see."

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "Didn't help much, though."

"What do you mean?" she asked curiously.

"When I killed Slade, I said something, and it made me think," he took her hand in his. "Somewhere along the line, you became one of my girls. After the reminder about what your powers could do if you lost control, I tried to wall you off, but that's never worked for me."

"Starfire's been wondering about that," Raven said. "What do you mean by 'your girls'?"

He shrugged. "My female friends. A surprisingly long list of women who can kick my ass but who I'd still die trying to protect."

"Ah," Raven nodded. "Starfire will be disappointed."

"Huh?"

"She thought it meant you found us, quote, 'desireable.'"

"But... I thought... her and Robin... oh," Xander sputtered. "Oooops."

Raven raised an eyebrow.

"Nevermind," he said, shaking his head. "But as a side note, I do. Find you two attractive, I mean. I'd have to be dead or gay not to."

"Oh," she said, blushing slightly.

* * *

Robin opened the door, "Well?"

"Yes," Raven said, walking past him, "we have dealt with our issues."

"Yeah," Xander agreed, following her out. "And I think the bones are mostly healed by now too."

Raven turned, "Don't exaggerate. I did not break any bones."

"You didn't," he shot back, shaking his hand. "Punching that wall HURT."

"I imagine it would, but I avoid expressing myself like that, so I wouldn't know."

He snorted, "You avoid expressing yourself at all."

Her eyes narrowed, "Is there a problem with that?"

"Not really," he sighed. "Just that if you lock down your emotions that tightly, when your control slips -- and trust me, it will -- you won't be able to handle it."

Raven stepped in close and spoke quietly, "I thought you knew what's inside me."

"Yes. Yes, I do."

"Then you know why."

"You're making a mistake," he said, shaking his head. "You're not the first person I've seen with that problem. But you don't have a curse clause saying your soul goes away if you get a moment of happiness."

Xander walked away, then looked over his shoulder at her.

"What's the point of living if you won't let yourself feel alive?"

* * *

Author's Postscript:

I know, I know, "show, don't tell," but I just couldn't pull it off. A better writer than I, it would take.


	25. 11: A Date Which Will Live in Infamy 1

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 11: A Date Which Will Live in Infamy (1/4) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Date With Destiny for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: With Killer Moth holding the city hostage, there's only one way to buy the Titans enough time to stop him.

Author's Note: Heheh. Xander finally gets some payback.

* * *

"So, what do you think?" Abbey asked, stepping out in her Raptor costume and sturning a few times to offer the Titans a look from all angles.

"Can you even breath in that thing?" Xander asked, disapproval in his voice.

The outfit consisted of a black leather bodysuit, with matching gloves, that left nothing to the imagination; the zipper between her breasts only made it more alluring. A dark red vest -- kevlar-lined -- hung open around her shoulders, and on the back was a highly-stylized and abstract silhouette of a bird with its wings partially spread, curling forward as if to grasp something immediately in front of it. A much-abbreviated utility belt hung at her waist, with a grappler at her left hip and an collapsed pistol crossbow at her right, and Xander could barely make out the additional pockets on the inside of the vest. A mask that swept upwards on either side, evocative of wings, completed the costume.

"Don't worry about that, Boss," she said, flicking her wrists and causing short but razor-sharp claws to extend from the fingertips of her gloves.

Raptor sauntered past them and tapped first Beast Boy, then Cyborg, on the nose. "Jaws off the floor, boys."

"Great," Robin muttered, "she's taking fashion tips from Catwoman."

"Aww, is that so bad, Boy Wonder?" she pouted, sidling up next to him and tracing his jawline.

Starfire twitched. Raven raised an eyebrow. Xander shook his head and sighed.

"Knew I never should've let her meet Faith..."

Much to Robin's relief, communicators began flashing, and he quickly detached himself from Raptor and took off at a run.

"Titans!"

* * *

Robin was donning his helmet when he felt the R-Cycle shift beneath him. He turned, "Huh?"

"Hey."

"Why don't you ride in the T-Car?"

"Well," Raptor replied innocently, "this is the R-Cycle, right?" She winked, "Don't worry. I'll hold on tight."

"That's what I'm afraid of..." he muttered.

* * *

"Range to target?" Robin asked, trying his best to ignore what was pressing against his back.

"Five hundred and closing," Cyborg replied from within the T-Car. "Should have a visual in..."

"There he is!" Starfire called. She was and and an eagle-form Beast Boy were flying above.

"Correction," Raven said from the T-Car's shotgun seat. "There it is."

The jewel thief appeared to have giant, four-legged spider for a head.

"Hey, doesn't he know he's breaking copyright laws?" Xander quipped.

Raptor snorted, "He sure doesn't have Peter Parker's looks."

Robin shot a look over his shoulder at Raptor, then over to Nighthawk, "What are you two talking about?"

"Nevermind, Rob," Xander shook his head as the three vehicles pulled to a stop. "Nevermind."

The jewel thief stood on his spider legs and fired at them with the energy pistol in his hand. The three Titan vehicles scattered, then turned in pursuit.

Starbolts, the R-Cycle's blasters, and even the T-Car's new roof missile -- Xander made a mental note: He wanted one of those -- were all easily dodged by the spider-thief.

A silk wad knocked Beast Boy out of the air, adhering him to the landscape, but even as he complained about the super-loogie, Starfire darted through the air, avoiding the same fate. The ground-bound Titans found themselves faced by a silk wall that stretched across the street.

Raven's soulself tore the roadway, lifting it up like a ramp, which the three vehicles jumped. More silk projectiles shot down, and both bikes swerved to avoid.

The less agile T-Car wasn't so lucky.

"I can't see!" Cyborg cried as he swerved the T-Car to a halt.

Another silk wad pinned Starfire, sending her to the ground as Nighthawk, Raptor, and Robin sped past. In a moment, Starfire freed herself and followed.

Robin watched as he and Nighthawk raced neck and neck after the thief... straight toward a car and the wall beyond.

"Get ready to jump!" he yelled.

"What?" Raptor shrieked, then fumbled at her hip for her grappler.

Xander swerved the N-Cycle to a halt. With all the weapons he'd had installed, the N-Cycle couldn't afford thrusters, and he wasn't particularly eager to lose his bike so soon after losing his powersuit.

Even as the N-Cycle slowed, he reached for his grappler, jumping and firing it as soon as the bike stopped moving.

Two grappling hooks caught on the building.

A third... failed to find purchase.

"Shiiiiit!" Raptor screamed as she fell.

"A- Raptor!" Xander called, terror gripping his heart for a moment. He turned and continued to retract his grapple-line in pursuit.

The fall wasn't too far. She should be fine.

As the two remaining Titans continued their pursuit, the thief turned... and spat twice.

"Can't... move!" Robin said.

Suddenly paralyzed, they fell.

"This... is gonna... hurt," Xander prophesied as they fell.

He would've been right, were it not for Starfire and Raptor. When the expected pain failed to come, Xander creaked his eyes open and found himself looking in Starfire's smiling face.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Raptor cradling Robin protectively.

_Boy Wonder,_ Xander thought, _good luck. You'll need it._

Cyborg checked the two caped Titans with his scanners as the other looked on anxiously.

"Will they be all right?" Raptor asked.

"They will be," Cyborg replied. "The venom's effect is only temporary."

"Getting away..." Robin said, "we have to... go after him! Whoa..." Raptor caught him before he fell.

"You mean, we have to go after him," Raven corrected.

"You two need to chill 'til that stuff wears off," Cyborg said.

"But..." Robin protested.

"Dude, we can handle it," Beast Boy assured him. "The guy's got a spider for a head. Not like he's gonna be hard to find."

Cyborg looked at Raptor, "And you need to stay off your feet and get some rest too. That's a nasty bump you've got. You might have a concussion."

"Hey!" she snapped. "Slayer healing. I'll be fine."

"Stand... down," Xander said, forcing the words past the paralysis.

She sighed. "Yes, Boss."

* * *

"Unless you want your city reduced to a moth-eaten wasteland," Killer Moth said, "you'll do exactly as I say."

Xander sat back and waited. This was going to be fun, and with the way Ab was eyeing the Boy Wonder... well, at least Cy had been wrong about the concussion.

"What do you want?" Robin asked.

"My demands are simple: The city will declare me ruler, the Teen Titans will surrender, and Robin..." Killer Moth hesitated, "...will... take this lovely young lady to her junior prom."

"Hi, Robbie-poo!" Kitten waved.

"Um... what was that last part again?" Robin sputtered.

"Robin, who is this girl?" Starfire asked curiously. "And why does she call you 'poo'?"

"Her name is Kitten," Killer Moth said, "and you will take her to prom!"

"You gotta be shittin' me!" Raptor snarled as she stalked up, slamming her hands into the console.

Literally.

"Raptor, easy on the equipment," Xander warned.

She blinked, "Err, sorry, Boss."

Robin swallowed nervously.

"We're gonna need a minute," he told Killer Moth, then headed out of the ops center, the other three Titans following.

In the hallway, Robin activated his communicator, "Cyborg, report. How bad is it?"

"Bad!" Cyborg replied. "Can't hold 'em off much longer! If you're gonna do something, do it quick!"

"Sounds pretty bad, Rob," Xander said, keeping his amusement from his face. "Doesn't look like you've got much choice."

Raptor whirled, "What? But Boss...!"

"He's right," Robin said, closing the communicator. "I have to do it."

"At least she isn't a demon," Xander pointed out.

"Thanks," Robin said unenthusiastically as he led the others back into the ops center.

"You sure about that?" Raptor growled as she eyed Kitten's image on the screen.

"Do we have a deal?" Killer Moth asked.

"I'll take the girl to prom," Robin said.

"Don't tell me," Killer Moth said. "Ask her."

Robin rolled his eyes, "You've gotta be..."

"DO IT!"

Robin clenched his fists and found his center, then looked up, "Kitten, was it?"

"Me-ow!" she replied, waving cutely.

"Right," Robin said. "Will you... go with me to the prom?"

Kitten gasped happily, "Oh, Robbie-poo! I thought you'd never ask!"

* * *

Author's Postscript:

--snerk-- Which is scarier? A jealous Tamaranian or a jealous slayer?


	26. 11: A Date Which Will Live in Infamy 2

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 11: A Date Which Will Live in Infamy (2/4) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Date With Destiny for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: With Killer Moth holding the city hostage, there's only one way to buy the Titans enough time to stop him.

Author's Note: And payback... backfires.

* * *

"I bought you some time," Robin told the other Titans over the communicator, then transmitted the next image. "Killer Moth. He's controlling the mutant insects. Find him and stop him." He sent an image of Kitten. "Start your search with her."

"Who is she?" Raven asked.

"Name's Kitten," Robin replied. "She's got some kind of connection to Killer Moth. Find the connection, and I bet you'll find him. The others will join you to help with the search."

"Don't count on it," Xander murmured.

"Hey, what about you?" Beast Boy asked. "Aren't you gonna help us?"

"I can't," Robin said, his face falling. "I have a date."

* * *

"Xander?"

He turned, "Oh, hey, Kori."

"Should we not be making haste to assist the other Titans?"

"You go on ahead," he said. "Someone's gotta watch the Boy Wonder's back at that prom."

_Strange,_ he thought. _Shouldn't she already be making plans to follow him?_

"What is this 'prom'?" she asked. "Is it some sort of duel?"

"Uh, no. It's a formal dance," he explained. "A date."

"Oh," she nodded in understanding. "Then... would it not be inappropriate for you to go alone?"

Completely ignoring the warning bells that should have woken the dead, he shrugged, "Generally, yeah, but how am I supposed to get a date on this short of a notice?"

There was a long pause as she considered that while he continued digging in his closet, looking for his tuxedo. "Would you... go with me to this prom?"

He looked up and blinked, "Um, sure."

"Oh, joyous! I shall get dressed immediately!" she announced, turning and flying out of his room.

He wondered where that odd sense of impending doom was coming from. It wasn't apocalypse season yet, so far as he knew.

* * *

Robin stopped the R-Cycle on the dock and got off. Adjusting his lapels with a sigh, he then tugged at his collar.

"Really hoping she doesn't show."

He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned reluctantly.

She wore a low-cut strapless gown that was split scandalously high on the sides, allowing her legs freedom of movement. It was black but shimmered in the light, and it hugged every curve of her body. A generous amount of cleavage was exposed, and as she turned to show it off, he saw that it was backless too. A pair of matching elbow-length gloves and high heels completed the outfit.

In short, it defied all laws of decency and gravity.

"Raptor?" he squeaked.

A light touch of make-up -- eyeshadow, a hint of blush -- and glittering earrings shaped like birds in flight accentuated her appearance.

"It's just Abbey now," she said. "No mask tonight." She smiled and held up a rose, "I think you just need one last thing to complete the picture here." She pinned it to his lapel.

"Ab, you're supposed to be helping the others track down Killer Moth."

"You'll need someone to watch your back, here," she retorted. "After all, she's hardly trustworthy. And maybe the Boss was wrong. Maybe she is a demon." She looked over his shoulder and frowned, "Oh, he did not..."

"Huh?" Robin turned and saw the black limousine that had pulled up. The driver was standing by the rear door, and Xander -- in a tux -- was offering his hand to... "Star?"

The two walked up, and Xander raised an eyebrow at Abbey, who merely shot back a defiant look.

Robin grabbed Xander's arm and led him away from the two girls and demanded, "What are you doing here?"

"Well," Xander replied, "first, investigating Kitten is a lot easier when we can see her."

"And second?"

Xander leaned in close and grinned, "I've been waiting for this for a long time. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Robin growned, "This is for that whole 'you kissing Jinx' thing, isn't it?"

"Yup."

"Aren't you supposed to be older and more mature than this?" Robin asked.

"Older?" Xander nodded. "Yes. More mature?" He shook his head, "Never."

Robin shook his head, "How did you get the limo on such short notice, anyway?"

"You'd be amazed at the hoops some people will jump through if they even get a whiff that a superteam might be considering licensed merchandise."

Robin's eyes were as big as dinner plates, "You licensed out the Titans?"

"No," Xander said. "I merely suggested we might be considering it. The limo was a gift from someone who was trying to curry favor with us."

Robin shook his head again, "I can't believe this."

"You can't believe it? I'm just glad it worked," Xander said. "I mean, seriously, this is a prom. Arriving on a motorcycle's not exactly the way to go." He glanced at the R-Cycle, "Um, nevermind."

"No, you're right about that," Robin said, "but then again, I don't plan on leaving with my date." Robin turned to rejoin the girls, but then stopped, "Oh, yeah, before I forget, if you hurt Star..."

"This was her idea, Dick," Xander said as they walked back to join the others, "and we're just here to watch your back. Besides, I know the speech. I could give it in my sleep."

"You give it that often?" Robin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah," Xander said, "but generally I'm holding the shovel I'm going to beat them to death with."

"That's what the shovel was for? I thought you just kept pulling grave-digging duty," Abbey said.

Xander rolled his eyes, "We didn't kill that many demons that leave corpses, Ab." A thoughtful look crossed his face, "Speaking of which, Robin, follow me."

He led him to the limousine and popped the trunk, then pointed inside, "Shovel." He pointed over Robin's shoulder, "Ab." He tapped Robin's chest, "You. Comprende?"

"Comprende."

Another limousine -- this one a tacky pink -- pulled up alongside the one Xander and Kori had arrived in. Letting herself out, Kitten waved, "Yoo-hoo! Robbie-poo! Your Kitten has arrived! Me-OW!"

"You know," Robin murmured, "maybe I will need backup."

"Figures," Xander shook his head in amusement. "The Bat has the Cat, and you have the Kitten."

Robin scowled.

Xander moved to rejoin the girls and offered his arm to Kori, who took it tentatively.

"So," Abbey said, "give him the shovel speech?"

"The short version."

"Ah. Good. Just remember: If it comes to that, I get first swing."

"'First swing'?" Xander repeated. "Wow. I guess you really do like him."

"Hey!" she snapped.

Xander merely grinned and started walking toward the ship, "C'mon, Kori. Let's dance the night away."

* * *

"Enjoying yourself, Kori?" Xander asked as they slow-danced. The song was nearing its end.

"Indeed, Xander," she smiled. "I am very much enjoying myself. I..."

"Mind if I cut in?" came another voice as the song ended. The voice's owner didn't wait for an answer, sliding quickly between them and displacing Kori's hands with hers.

Xander blinked.

"Jinx?"

The HIVE agent was -- in Xander's estimation -- quite stunning. Jade earrings shaped like pentagrams adorned her ears, and her hair was done up in a tastefully braided bun. She wore an ankle-length, gold-trimmed, red silk cheongsam with gold dragon embroidery that wrapped around her, but the cheongsam was slit to reveal a pair of legs that went all the way up...

_Bad thoughts! Bad thoughts!_ Only the absence of any nearby walls prevented him from attempting to inflict multiple concussions on himself.

A small part of his mind, however, was almost... puzzled. He hadn't seen Jinx since she'd run off the night he'd killed Slade -- not that he believed for a moment that Slade was really dead; comic book bad guys never stayed dead -- and to be honest, he would've expected her to favor something closer to what Abbey was wearing.

"So... your name's Xander, hmm, cutie?"

"Um, yeah," he replied dumbly, then noticed the Tamaranian fury nearby.

_You must think this is damned funny, don't ya?_ Xander sent the thought skyward. _I swear, all I wanted was a little revenge, a chance to kick back and have some fun at Dick's expense for a change... but NOOOOO, can't have that, can we, God?_

Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran was fuming -- literally, as her eyes were glowing and emitting starbolt energy that rose and wafted with the wind -- and miniature starbolts sparked at her fingertips, which in turn twitched with the desire to blast Jinx.

But no. She would not throw the first attack. Something Nightwing had told her when she was in the future warned her to stay her hand. No matter how much she might want to, she would not reduce the little witch to ashes.

At least, not until Jinx did something first.

"Manipulative, interfering grimplork," she muttered with... irritation was not the correct word. Nor was anger, not quite. Frustration will do for now.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

As a wise 'fic writer (from whom I borrowed this episode's title) once wrote, chaos needs no recipe. Ethan Rayne, eat your heart out.


	27. 11: A Date Which Will Live in Infamy 3

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 11: A Date Which Will Live in Infamy (3/4) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link. Plus, archived at http/ or http/ Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Date With Destiny for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: With Killer Moth holding the city hostage, there's only one way to buy the Titans enough time to stop him.

Author's Note: But at least nothing's exploding yet.

* * *

"So, you know my name now," Xander said conversationally as they danced. "Out of fairness, will you tell me yours?"

Jinx looked up in surprise. "I..." she looked away, "...I don't remember. I don't remember anything before HIVE."

He frowned, "Nothing at all?"

"Nothing clear," she replied softly. "Just... flashes."

Xander's face darkened.

_Brother Blood, welcome to my hit list._

* * *

Abbey edged away from the snack table, reconsidering the disposable cup she'd picked up.

_What is it they say?_ she wondered. _'Don't drink the punch'? Definitely not drinking it now._

Not with the way it was bubbling, anyway, and she had a pretty good guess as to why the punch seemed to be spontaneously boiling.

"...only the Boss..." she murmured, shaking her head.

"What?" Kori turned to her, distracted from her glaring. The punch seemed to settle.

"Um..." Abbey said, "I was just going to say... uh, only the Boss could get someone this close, this pissed, and still survive."

"I am not angry with Xander," Kori said. The punch started boiling again as she added, "It is Jinx that I am... upset with."

"Well," Abbey muttered, "that's a change of pace."

Xander and Jinx approached, the former nervous, the latter obviously quite happy.

Kori steamed.

"Hey, I'm all danced out for now," Xander said. "Why don't you two go mingle, hmm?" he suggested, looking at Jinx and Kori. "I have to talk to Ab."

Shooting a glare at each other, they assented.

Xander's shoulder slumped as he heaved a sigh of relief. He looked over at Abbey, "Let's hope they don't kill each other. So, what's the sitch with the odd couple?"

"Huh?"

He rolled his eyes, "Ab, don't try and tell me you haven't been watching every move they've made since this shindig started."

"Actually, I've been watching Red since Jinx showed up," Abbey replied. "She's... potentially volatile."

"'Potentially'?" Xander repeated an eyebrow. "Come on, Ab, you know how this goes. I run interference, you keep an eye on the objective. And considering that dress, I think I know what your objective is tonight."

"...did you see the punch boiling?" she asked. "My libido is taking a back seat here, Boss..."

"Uh huh..." Xander nodded skeptically.

"...fine," she relented. "The Kit's getting restless. I think she's about to try and drag the Boy Wonder to the dance floor."

"Thanks for the update," he said... then grinned. "Maybe I should go say 'hi.'"

"You do realize, Boss, that with that grin, you look like some of the things you used to send us to slay, right?"

He shot her a look over his shoulder, "Just keep those two from sinking the ship, okay? I'll be right back."

"Right, Boss," she sighed in resignation, then turned to see Jinx and Kori glaring at each other, nose to nose.

* * *

Xander took a seat next to Robin, "Hey, Boy Wonder, having fun?"

Robin glared at him.

Grinning, Xander leaned back. "Trust me, it could always be worse."

"Oh, Robbie-poo! Introduce me!"

Robin blinked, then sighed, "Kitten, Xander. Xander, Kitten. Happy now?"

"Hmph!" Kitten frowned. "Ask me to dance."

"I don't dance," Robin replied.

"Come on, Robbie-poo," she said loudly as she circled the table. Grabbing his hand, she tried to pull him to his feet, "You've never, ever danced before?"

"Tried it once. Didn't like it."

"Really?" Xander interjected. "I wonder what Babs would say if she found out you said that."

Robin suddenly bolted upright in his chair and glared at Xander, "You. Wouldn't. Dare."

"Who... is 'Babs'?" Kitten asked, a dangerous note in her voice.

"An old friend." He glared at Xander, "Are you trying to make me miserab-... nevermind."

"Robin, can you honestly tell me you'd trade places with me right now if you had the chance?" Xander murmured, nodding his head to where Jinx and Kori stood.

"...okay, point."

"Ask. Me. To. Dance."

"I told you," Robin said. "I don't dance."

"Fine," Kitten said, pulling out a cell phone. "Then I can have the whole city destroyed." A thought seemed to strike her, "Or... we can just skip straight to the kissing."

Xander grinned and gave him a thumbs up, "Pucker up. I think it's worth it."

Robin's reply to him also consisted of a single up-raised digit.

"Wanna dance?" he asked Kitten.

With a nod, she hauled him out onto the dance floor, "Oh, Robin, of course I'd love to dance with you!"

CRUNCH!

Xander blinked as he took in the sight of Abbey uprooting and twisting the ship's railing in her hands. She didn't even seem to notice what she was doing.

Oh, hell, he thought as he started walking toward her. _I guess Kori and Jinx aren't the only ones I have to worry about. Better do some damage control._

"Ab."

"Yeah, Boss?" she asked, seeming to snap out of her anger state.

"Easy on the ship, there."

She blinked, "Oops."

He was shaking his head in resignation when he suddenly found himself whisked to the dance floor again, this time by Kori.

"Hey, there," he said.

She simply smiled and leaned into him.

Xander, oblivious as ever, simply shifted his grip and held her close, continuing to dance with Kori and not paying one whit of attention to Jinx, who was visibly shaking and had hex energy dancing and sparking at her fingertips. As he didn't see her, he also didn't see the very worried look that Abbey had on her face as she carefully removed herself from Jinx's proximity.

_Boss,_ she thought, shaking her head, _you're as clueless as ever._

* * *

As the song ended, Robin put his some of his training under Batman to good use in escape Kitten's grasp.

"Okay," he said, walking back to the table. "That's over."

As another song started, Kitten gasped, "Ooh, goody!" She yanked him back, "Another slow dance!"

Across the deck, Xander found himself once again dancing with Jinx.

_Damage control,_ he thought. _Damage control._

It was becoming something of a mantra to him by now. And it helped him ignore the way Jinx was pressing herself up against him. And the way she occasionally started grinding her hips against his. And...

Okay, so maybe it wasn't helping much. But it did help.

Back where Robin and Kitten were dancing, the extortionist told Robin, "From now on, Robbie-poo, this'll always be our song."

Dreamily, she leaned in close, resting her head on his shoulder. Careful not to let her notice, Robin activated his communicator.

"Please tell me you guys have found Killer Moth," he asked softly.

* * *

"Not yet," Cyborg whispered into his built-in comm. "But we tracked down your girlfriend's home address."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Robin protested as Beast Boy apparently managed to find a secret stairway down.

"Whoa?" Beast Boy muttered.

"Well, that's not suspicious," Raven deadpanned.

After descending into the darkness, Beast Boy suddenly started, then pulled on the cord he'd run into, bathing the basement in light.

They stared at the holding pens that were filled with mutant moths.

"Found him," echoed three voices as they spoke into their respective comms.

"Yes, you've found me," came a voice from a bove, "but you'll soon be wishing you hadn't."

* * *

As Robin put away his communicator, Kitten pulled back, looked at him, and puckered up, "Kiss me."

"Sorry," Robin said. "I don't like you that way." He smirked, "Matter of fact, I just don't like you."

"Rock on, Wonder Boy," Abbey grinned.

Had Robin seen the grin, he probably would've started running.

"Here we go," Xander muttered.

"Huh?" Jinx blinked at him.

"WHAT?" Kitten shrieked.

"Killer Moth's being taken down as we speak," Robin said, turning away. "We're done here."

"No, we are not!" Kitten snarled, tearing off her corsage and revealing the controller within.

"Daddy's not calling the shots tonight, Robbie-poo. I am!"

Robin stared, "'Daddy'?"

"And unless you want me to let those nasty bugs out for a late-night snack..." she said, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and pulling him close, "...you better pucker up!

BLAM! BLAM!

"Damn," Xander muttered. "Missed."

He noticed Jinx staring at the spring-loaded derringer that had been concealed up his sleeve. "Uh, sorry, Jinx," he said as he brushed past her. "Business."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Yet.


	28. 11: A Date Which Will Live in Infamy 4

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 11: A Date Which Will Live in Infamy (4/4) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Date With Destiny for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: With Killer Moth holding the city hostage, there's only one way to buy the Titans enough time to stop him.

Author's Note: The finale, plus a few loose ends.

* * *

_Knew I should've brought the Colt,_ he thought as he rushed over to where Kitten and Robin -- and now Fang, their spider-headed jewel thief -- were. _So what if the shoulder rig was too obvious? Damn it!_

An enraged roar echoed from behind him as a blur rushed past, and Xander moved, tackling the berserk slayer and trying to hold her down.

"Kori, help Robin!" he called. Leaning down, he snarled in Abbey's ear, "Rule Six, Abbey! Rule Six!"

She didn't seem to be paying attention. If he didn't already have superior positioning and leverage, he had no doubt she'd have pitched him overboard by now.

CRUNCH!

Xander blinked at the punch bowl that had just been broken over Abbey's skull. He looked up.

Jinx smiled and waved sheepishly, "Y'know, I... kinda feel bad about that..."

"Couldn't be helped," Xander said as he got up, though a small part of him was glad she felt bad about it. He took a couple of steps before turning, "You gonna help?"

After a moment, she nodded.

Xander reached up his left sleeve and pulled out a ceramic knife as he charged at Fang. One of Fang's spider legs caught him across the chest, and he swung the knife down, lodging it in the leg for a moment before it was yanked away.

"You don't play fair," Fang said, hauling him up by his shirt.

"Of course not," Xander replied, reaching behind his neck and drawing his second blade, slashing Fang's chest. A hex blast struck the deck below Fang, and one leg suddenly broke through the deck planks. He quickly recovered, but not before Xander broke free.

"Ooh!" Kitten squealed. "That's Robin's friend. He's cuuute, and they're all fighting over me! Isn't it romantic?"

"They are NOT fighting over you!" three voices -- including one Tamaranian, one witch, and one recovered but still very pissed off slayer -- sounded around her.

Kitten blinked. This was going to hurt.

In retrospect, that was amazingly prescient of her.

Meanwhile, Xander and Robin faced off against Fang, who apparently had more than enough limbs to spare to take them both on... for a while. He seemed to think Xander's blade and Robin's skill balanced out.

The fight would've ended quicker if Xander hadn't slipped on the punch at the wrong moment. The fast-setting webbing wrapped around him and pinned him to the deck.

He was glad he could still reach the Rolex.

Robin fended off a flurry of strikes from Fang's array of spider legs, then ducked and swung his staff. Planting his spider legs on the deck, Fang lifted his human legs clear and swung them at Robin in the most controlled drop kick ever.

Dropping on his back to avoid it, Robin rolled over to avoid the stabbing spider leg that followed, then tumbled backward and flipped up to his feet. They circled around, and Robin hurled a flash-bang.

As his eyes cleared, Fang looked around, then looked up, just in time to see Robin's foot before it smashed into his face.

"Looks like I missed the finale," Xander said as he walked up.

Robin frowned, "How did you...?"

Xander showed him the watch, "Built-in laser. Had Cyborg install this and a few other goodies in this monkey suit."

Robin shook his head and griped, "You really remind me of the old man sometimes."

They walked over to where the three girls had Kitten restrained.

Robin smiled, "Consider yourself dumped."

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

"Nobody dumps Kitten!" she shrieked as she was carted to the police van. "Nobody! You're going to pay for this, Robbie-poo! YOU'RE GOING TO PAAAYYY!

"So, no second date?" Cyborg asked.

"You know..." Beast Boy said, cradling one of the mutant moth larvae, "...now that nobody's making 'em all mutate-y, these things might actually make good pets."

"Don't even think about it," Raven said flatly. She looked over at Jinx, "And just what is she doing here?"

"Leave it, Rae," Xander said. "She helped out."

"Okay, well... sorry we pretty much ruined your prom," Robin apologized to a paralyzed couple that had been hit by Fang's venom during the fight.

"Are you kidding?" the guy asked. "This was the best prom ever!"

"Even if I still can't move my legs!" his date amended.

"Yeah," Robin said. "That'll wear off."

Spotlights suddenly began tracking all over the deck, setting the Titans on guard again.

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for," came a voice over the PA system, "the king and queen of this year's prom are... ROBIN AND JINX!"

"HUH!" was pretty much the unanimous response. Kori gave a thumbs up to the announcing booth.

"NO!" Jinx shrieked. "I want my 'Hawk!"

"Anyone but her!" Robin complained.

"What?" Abbey's jaw dropped "But..." The slayer was still trying to figure out how the Boss had brained her...

A thought struck Jinx, and she glared at Kori, who shot back a triumphant smirk before turning to her date, "So, Xander, would you like to dance?"

Xander smiled, oblivious to the machinations, and replied, "Anything m'lady desires." He gave an exaggerated formal bow and a held out his arm, "A dance would be lovely."

* * *

"Wait!"

Xander and Kori turned just as they got to the limo. The Tamaranian growled, "Go. Away."

"Hold up, Kori," Xander said. "What is it, Jinx?"

The witch scrambled toward them and narrowly kept herself from colliding with them. "I... I want you to have this," she said, shoving something into his hands.

Xander looked at it, "A Saint Jude's medallion?"

Jinx shrugged and gave a timid smile, "If there ever was a hopeless cause, it's me."

"Jinx..."

"I didn't steal it," she said hastily. "I-I didn't buy it with stolen money. O-or anything like that. I just... I... it was my mother's. I think."

Xander smiled, "Thank you. It means a lot to me." He gently pulled her into a hug and planted a kiss on her forehead.

Kori glowered, then smiled as a thought struck her. As they watched Jinx fly off, she asked carefully, "Xander, is it not customary to kiss at the end of a date?"

"Um... yeah, actually," Xander murmured.

_Hoo boy,_ he thought as he pondered her lips. _Teaching An human ways was never this stressful._

Xander swallowed and gave her a gentle peck on the lips.

He really, really hoped he could get away before he snapped.

* * *

The bartender scowled at the bedraggled-looking kid who had planted himself on a stool at his bar.

_Definitely underage,_ he thought. "Let's see some ID, kid."

The bartender blinked as he suddenly found himself staring down the barrels of a two-shot derringer.

"Name's Bond," the kid said calmly. "James Bond. Good enough for ya?"

"...yeah, that'll be fine. Lemme guess: Martini, shaken, not stirred?"

Xander snorted at the bartender, "Hell no. Scotch, no ice. And make it a double. I need it."

"Ex-wife?"

Xander shot him a dark look, "Do I look that old?" He drained the glass, "Prom date and wanna-be prom date."

"Ouch."

"Plus the psycho that was going to unleash giant mutant moths on the city. And his daughter. She's worse."

"Then why not use that gun of yours on her?"

"Well, first, I didn't think about it at first," Xander said, "second, too many witnesses, and third... not enough ammo."

"...here, take the bottle," the bartender said, placing it on the bar.

"And fourth... when I did try, I missed," Xander added, taking the bottle.

"Wait, did you just threaten me with an empty gun?"

"Yup."

"That's cheap!"

"It worked," Xander said, getting up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some serious damage to do to my liver."

* * *

Raven turned on the light. Who would be in the Towers' entrance hall at this hour?

"...Xander?"

What on Earth was he doing with a shovel?

Xander blinked owlishly at her, then graced her with a huge grin as recognition settled in, "RAE!"

"What... are you doing here?" she asked. "Awk!" she awked as Xander dropped the shovel and glomped onto her with a death grip.

"My ghood fffriend, Rhae..." he slurred, "not thrying to... shedushe me."

"Let go of me."

Xander pulled back and grinned even more, "Shee? Shee, thish is exACTly what I meannn... Koriii... or Jinxsss... stuck like glue, but youuuu, nooo, not youu..."

"Ugh," she leaned away from him, "you're drunk."

"I thhhink thash kinda'bvious, Rae, what with the the shlurrin' an' the shtumblin' an' the... the shmell." He frowned, "Shmell. Now thass a funny word..."

Raven shook her head, "Let's get you back to your room."

"How fffforwahrd of you," he commented, with a goofy grin.

Raven tried to fight off a smile as she said, "C'mon, you goof."

"Ah!" he pulled back and pointed. "There it is! There it is! You're shmiling!"

Raven scowled, "Am not."

"Are thoooo," Xander said.

"Am. Not," she repeated as a giggle threatened to surface.

"Are too-oo!" he sang.

"Am NOT!"

"Artoo-Deetoo!"

Raven fought it as best she could, but she couldn't help snickering. Shaking her head in resignation, she relented, "All right, all right. I am." She sighed, "You're hopeless."

"I know."

Raven frowned. That had sounded all too lucid. What...?

Her thoughts were interrupted as he grabbed her rear.

"Eek!" she shrieked, whirling around and slapping him.

"Thanksh," he said. "You have annny idea how long it's been since I've been slapped?"

"Apparently, far too long," she replied.

* * *

Raven levitated Xander into his bed and pulled the blanket over him.

He looked up at her, staring intently.

"What?" she asked.

"Y'know I love you, right?" he asked...

...right before passing out.

Raven stared, frozen for a moment, then gave a small smile. She gave him a kiss on the forehead before leaving. Pausing at the door, she looked back at him.

"Sleep well, you big goof."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

As to how Xander managed to get from the bar to Titans' Tower on foot... um, limo. He still had the limo, and he had a very good driver.

And the limo was a Bond car.

Or something like that.


	29. 12: Teens, Not Titans 1

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 12: Teens, Not Titans (1/4) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Transformation for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Even superheroes need a day off sometimes.

Author's Note: And we get another guest star, this one a little more obscure than the others.

* * *

Raptor patrolled the rooftops. It was her first solo patrol since joining the Titans -- indeed, her first solo patrol ever, since Xander didn't believe in solo runs if they could be avoided -- and she had yet to run into anything unusual.

She also had yet to use her grappler to swing around the way Robin and even Nighthawk used theirs, instead favoring running leaps. She trusted her slayer powers far more than she did the grappler, which had already failed her once.

She'd leave the Tarzan gig to them.

Right now, Robin and Nighthawk were working on some rumors linked to the gang war between Two-Face and Penguin back east in Gotham, leaving her to patrol alone, since the other Titans didn't feel the same need to keep a close watch on the streets.

But like with Xander, patrolling was in her blood, and like Xander, she tended to drift toward the cemetaries.

Currently, she was following someone. With the overcast sky, she couldn't identify who it was... but not many people lurked around on rooftops, and she'd already ruled out Robin and Nighthawk.

After all, they didn't have tits, and her prey had clearly been blessed with a very nice rack.

She was one roof away when the woman attached a grapple line to the edge of the warehouse roof and kicked off, swinging out and kicking in one of the windows with a spectacular crash.

Raptor moved.

* * *

_Okay,_ Huntress thought as she smashed the head of her last opponent into the wall. _That takes care of that._

Chak-chak.

_...or maybe not._ She looked around at the second wave of thugs. There were six of them, and one was hefting the pump-action shotgun she'd heard.

_Maybe I made a slight miscalculation..._

"Hmm," came a female voice from behind them. "Six guys, one girl. Looks like this orgy's missing one. Mind if I join you?"

Raptor grinned as the shotgun-armed thug turned. She wrenched the weapon from his hands and slammed its stock into his chin. She turned and brought it up to block the tire iron the next one wielded.

Xander had taught her well. They'd refined the use of firearms as melee weapons to a high art form, as she was demonstrating as she quickly disabled her opponent with a rib-cracking jab to his side.

Rule Two would've had her emptying the weapon at the crooks, ending the fight much more quickly, if it weren't for Rule Six: Humans are off-limits. Let the Boss handle them, and don't ask.

Huntress -- who she'd recognized once she got a good look at her -- was easily holding her own, having quickly taken down her first dance partner in the moment of surprise Raptor's appearance had offered her.

Raptor smirked as her opponent backed away. She reached into a pouch and hurled one of her shuriken -- little more than a pair of sharpened rods joined at the center to form an X -- burying it in his arm, causing him to drop the baseball bat he was carrying.

An overhand strike with the shotgun, powered by slayer strength, smashed into his arm, obviously breaking or shattering it, and impacted his skull.

She looked around.

"There!" Huntress pointed. Both vigilantes drew their crossbows and fired, but whether he was lucky or just that good, the man managed to avoid both shots, yanking open a side door...

BLAM!

...and falling back away from it, clutching his shoulder and screaming in pain before passing out. Standing there was Nighthawk.

Xander silently criticized himself for rushing the shot as he holstered his Colt and stepped in. He looked around, noting the remnants of Huntress's earlier fight, including at least two with crossbow bolts embedded in their throats.

As he continued to approach them, Robin emerged from behind him, making a beeline toward Huntress, "What are you doing here, Huntress?"

"I don't remember having to ask your permission to be here, Bird Boy," she shot back.

Raptor looked at Xander and grinned. "I like her," she said, keeping her voice down.

Xander rolled his eyes, "You would. Just remember, she's a bit old for you right now."

"Lose two years, and all sorts of doors close on you."

"Don't pout," he said. "It really doesn't suit you."

"Great job, Huntress," Robin said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You just ruined two weeks of hard work."

"Excuse me?" she replied, offended. "I just busted up a smuggling ring that was running merrily along right under your nose."

"We didn't take this place out because there's a shipment of Soviet arms coming in," Robin explained, "arms that Mandragora's going to sell to Two-Face and Penguin in Gotham to fuel the gang war there. Now, thanks to you, we've lost it."

"Hey, I didn't know," Huntress said, holding her hands up defensively. "Besides, it's just a few more guns on the street."

"Not just guns, Huntress," Robin said. "At least two dozen RPG-7s were going to be in that shipment."

Xander rolled his eyes again and walked up, "So, we do it the old-fashioned way." He leaned over one of the conscious thugs and grabbed him by the shirt front. "What ship are they coming in on?"

"No way!"

Xander pressed his knee to the smuggler's crotch and applied pressure. "I'm not a cop," he warned. "Police brutality regulations don't apply to me. I've already put a bullet in your friend, and believe me when I say I can get very creative. Now talk."

Huntress looked at him admiringly and said to Robin, "He's certainly rougher than your usual friends. I like him."

"You would," Robin snorted.

* * *

"Don't worry about the shipment," Xander said as he entered the operations center. All the Titans -- sans Starfire -- were present, as was Huntress.

Robin looked up, "Nighthawk, where have you been? We've been trying to..."

"I told you, don't worry about it," Xander repeated. He nodded a greeting, "Hey, Huntress. Enjoying your visit?"

She snorted, "I'd enjoy it a lot more without the Boy Wonder here on my ass."

"And what a nice ass it is," Xander said with a grin. "You wear spandex well."

Huntress made a point of looking him up and down, "I can see one more who does too."

"Well," Xander said, "to be fair, that's only one more because some of us," he shot a look at Raptor, "prefer leather."

"Don't hate me because you look like a Goth in it, Boss," Raptor shot back.

"...and what's wrong with Goth?" Raven asked with a frown.

"Nothing, if you don't mind not having a life," Raptor shot back.

"Hey, hey," Xander protested. "Goth isn't the issue. I'm sorry, but to me, leather pants equals undead, and I refuse to copy Sir Broods-a-lot."

_Especially with the whole Lolita factor that he and I seem to share..._ he added silently. _Oh, God, I am turning into him. God? Please kill me now. Pretty please?_

"Um... Batman doesn't wear leather," Robin said, confused.

Xander shot him a look and said, "Uh, no. Believe it or not, I actually know someone who broods more than the Bat."

"Is that even possible?" Huntress asked skeptically.

Xander shrugged, "Not humanly. He's a vampire. Doesn't need as much sleep."

"I thought you killed vampires?"

"Special case, Rae, and trust me, if I'd had my way, he'd've been dustbuster food long before he became a problem."

"So why shouldn't we worry about the shipment?" Cyborg asked, trying to bring them back on topic.

"Uh, well..." Xander said. "That's, uh..."

Beast Boy chose that moment to turn on the television, from which the news reporter's voice came, "...and here I am, live, from the burning wreck of..."

Robin stared at it for a moment, then turned to Xander, "You didn't."

"They're carrying a lot of explosives, Rob," Xander reminded him. "Accidents happen." He turned and headed for his room, "I'm gonna go find Star."

"'Accident,'" Raptor deadpanned to his back. "Riiight, Boss."

Huntress smiled. "I really like him."

* * *

Xander knocked gently on the door, "Kori, you in there?"

"One moment please!" came the muffled reply. After a moment, the door opened, and he immediately noticed the hat.

"Can I come in?" he asked.

"Certainly," she said, stepping back.

Xander stepped in and said, "Kori, um, what's with the hat?"

"Nothing!" she said quickly. Too quickly.

"Oh, wait," he said. "You've got a really huge lump on your head, don't you?"

She gasped, "How did you know?"

"Otherworld knowledge, remember?" he reminded her, tapping his temple. "Don't worry about it, Kori. You'll be going through a lot of changes over the next few days."

"I will?" she asked worriedly.

"Yeah," Xander said. "It's your transformation. Eventually, you'll enter a chrysalis for a while." He took hold of her shoulders and stressed his next words, "Don't. Worry. When it's all over, you'll emerge as beautiful as ever. I promise."

"Truthfully?" she asked, blushing furiously. Given the dim light and her naturally orange skin, Xander didn't notice.

"Have I ever lied to you?"

"Thank you," she said, pulling him into a hug.

He returned the hug, stroking her hair comfortingly.

"Anytime, Kori, anytime."

* * *

Raven hesitantly knocked on the door. Raptor's comment about Goths had reminded her of Nighthawk's words weeks ago, and she'd started to wonder.

The door opened, and he looked at her, "Raven?"

"Nighthawk, can I come in?"

"It's Xander, Rae," he replied as he stepped back, silently inviting her in. "You should know that by now."

As she entered, she found herself in the middle of a confused mess. It looked like a tornado had hit the place... after picking up a comic shop, carpenter's workshop, and occult bookstore and ramming them together first.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I... thought about what you said a few weeks ago," she said. At his confused look, she elaborated, "About living."

"And?" he prodded.

Raven sighed and slumped her shoulders, "I don't know how."

"Don't know how to what?" Xander asked, now thoroughly confused.

"To live," she explained. "By your definition, anyway."

Xander stared at her, then smiled, "Okay, I think I can help."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

-snerk- At least it's not just the villains who all want Xander.


	30. 12: Teens, Not Titans 2

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 12: Teens, Not Titans (2/4) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Transformatin for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Even superheroes need a day off sometimes.

Author's Note: Don't expect too much action in this episode from here on.

* * *

Raven made her way down the hall. When he'd finally let her go, Nightha-... Xander had told her to stop by later. They had talked well past midnight about all sorts of topics, many of which she failed to see the point or relevance of.

Which, in retrospect, may have been the point.

She thought back to one of the more memorable part of their conversation...

--Flashback--

"...why is there a half-finished chair in the corner?" Raven asked.

Xander looked up questioningly, then looked over, "Umm... well, actually, it was finished, but I kinda took it apart to get its dimensions."

"...you are very weird."

"Hey!" he said defensively. "I wanted to make another one, so I needed the measurements. Besides, you're hardly one to talk about 'weird.' But I've never had much time for normal people anyway."

--End Flashback--

Shaking her head at the memory, she knocked gently.

She heard a faint response from within. It sounded something like, "Mrph?"

Thump!

Raven winced in sympathy at the unmistakable sound of a body hitting the floor. A moment -- and a string of half-heard curses -- later, she heard the rattle and clink of at least seven deadbolts, two chains, and -- was that a chair? -- disengaging. Then the door opened a crack.

Xander blinked at her, then smiled, "Hey, you're up early, Rae."

"I'm always up early."

He rolled his eyes. It was at this point that she took in his sleeping attire: socks, sweat pants, and no shirt.

For some reason, she felt a peculiar urge to lick her lips.

"...c'mon in, Rae," he said, seeming to force the words past his lips, and swung the door wide, revealing the disaster area that was his room. He made a beeline for the east-facing windows and opened the drapes wide.

Raven flinched a little at the sudden increase in light. She preferred the dark.

"Gahh," Xander shielded his eyes. "Whoever said 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' deserves to be dragged out into the street and shot."

Raven arched an eyebrow at this, "Excuse me?"

"Vamps," he explained. "Hate sun. Me too right now. That 'enemy of my enemy' thing might be true, but some friends are too damn friendly."

Xander pulled on a sweat shirt, not noticing the frown that flashed across Raven's face (but then, neither did she), and headed for the door. "Wait here. I've got to go wake myself up."

And before she could blink, Raven found herself alone. After a moment, she began looking around, taking a closer look at the room. She wasn't normally this curious -- after all, she certainly understood the value of privacy -- but Xander was a maddening enigma to her, one that had nearly driven her insane with fear.

And was now threatening to just plain drive her insane.

A very small smile quirked lips as she realized how easily he had replaced Beast Boy in that respect. She shook her head in resignation. Contrary to what they had all expected when he first arrived, he'd since become a permanent fixture in their lives.

Her gaze swept across the dismantled chair -- and now that she looked, she saw the parts for its mate that he'd made -- and to his workbench, where a small box rested. For some reason she couldn't identify, she felt compelled to investigate further, and she carefully picked up the box and opened it...

...and gasped.

The box contained wooden carvings, scaled to roughly six inches tall. Two blocks were barely started, and she could barely identify one as Raptor, for the head -- in all its striking detail -- was finished. Half-finished were carvings of Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Robin, and she could make out traces of every printed circuit on Cyborg's mechanical half.

But it was the two complete carvings that took her breath away.

The carving of Starfire had her in a triumphant pose, her arms spread, and so detailed, Raven could almost count the hairs on her head. Somehow, Xander had captured her essence, the pure joy of living every minute of every day of her life that guided the Tamaranian's life.

And the carving of Raven herself was with her cloak open, her hood thrown back, her head held high with a confidence and inner strength she had never felt or seen in herself. The wooden replica stood confidently, eyes closed, ready to face whatever the world had to offer.

_Is this how he sees me?_ she wondered as she held the figure up in amazement.

The door opened, and she turned, "Uh, Xander. I-I'm sorry, I..."

"Found those, did you?" he said with a smile.

Raven nodded wordlessly and looked back at the carving of herself.

"It- it's beautiful," she finally said.

Xander shrugged, "It's you."

Raven swallowed and turned to return it to the box, but a hand gently grabbed her wrist. She looked up, and he smiled, "Keep it."

"I... I couldn't..." she protested, shaking her head.

"I was going to give it to you anyway," he countered. "I was just going to wait until I finished all of them. Besides," he shrugged, "I can always carve more."

"Th-thank you," she said softly, holding the carving to her chest. _Get a grip, Raven!_ she mentally berated herself. _What is wrong with you?_

"Now that that's settled," he said, "it's time we get started. Today, we live. And a day in life must begin with this."

Raven raised an eyebrow at the object he held up, "And this is...?"

"This..." Xander said reverently, "...is a Twinkie."

"A Twinkie," she repeated dubiously.

"Yes," he nodded. "Observe." With that, he tore the wrapper off and stuffed the entire snack cake into his mouth.

"That's... revolting," Raven said.

"Sez vu," he replied through a mouth full of unpronouncable ingredients. Once he swallowed, he tossed her another one, which she caught out of reflex. "Your turn."

"You cannot be serious."

"Raven, scarfing a Twinkie is not something serious people do," Xander said reasonably. "Your problem is that you're too serious all the time. Sooo..."

She gave the Twinkie a skeptical look, then shrugged, "I suppose it's worth a try." After forcing it into her mouth, she began to cough as she choked it down. After a moment, she took in a deep breath, having finally managed to swallow it.

"Okay," Xander frowned, "I guess it's back to the basics. Go change. Into something besides that cloak-and-leotard combo." He gently pushed her out of his room. "Borrow something from Kori if you have to, something bright. As much as I like cute girls in spandex, you'll need to wear something more casual for this. I'll meet you out front." He closed the door.

Raven raised an eyebrow at the door.

"'Cute'?"

* * *

Leaning against the door, Xander replayed what he said to Raven and groaned, resisting the urge to slam his head into the door.

"Deadboy, if I ever see you again, I am so gonna kick your ass, just on general principle alone..."

Shaking his head, he headed for his closet and began picking out his clothing. Once he was satisfied, he kneeled and pulled out his hidden arsenal. A sinister laugh echoed within his room as he picked them up.

"Time to load these babies."

* * *

"Whyfor do you require clothing?" Starfire asked.

"It's... kind of a private thing," Raven answered. "I need something... more casual. For Earth. May I?"

"Oh, certainly, friend Raven."

* * *

Raven sucked in a breath as she looked at herself in the mirror. In the end, she'd borrowed a tie-dye T-shirt from Starfire and paired it with a pair of shorts. She also learned that she was not quite as slender as Starfire was, and the question that was running through her mind was decided by her difficulty breathing.

Pulling off the shirt for a moment, she unhooked her bra and levitated it back to her drawer. She pulled the shirt back on and posed in front of the mirror.

"Much better," she smiled, then frowned. _But maybe I should go on a diet..._

Why she'd suddenly started caring about her looks was a question she'd overlooked.

* * *

"That shirt..." Raven trailed off.

Xander looked up, "Yeah?"

"It's..." she searched for the right word and settled on, "nauseating."

It was a Hawaiian print in a clash of painfully bright orange, neon green, and sunflower yellow. The splashes of color was dizzying and almost painful to look at.

"That's the point," he grinned. "Who'd connect Nighthawk with this? And on that note, you look great."

And she did. With the baseball cap concealing the gem she wore at her Ajna chakra, the tie-dye T-shirt and shorts combo accentuated her lithe figure and made one think of a track runner, or a swimmer, or maybe a figure skater. Her reaction to his shirt certainly added weight to that last impression, considering how the only ice skater he knew had reacted to similar shirts.

A far cry from her usual somber and distant beauty.

Now if only she'd just smile.

"Th-thanks," Raven blushed slightly, offering the most tenuous of smiles as if on cue.

_God, she is beautiful,_ Xander thought, momentarily stunned by the difference it made. _As beautiful as any slayer... and that's saying something._

"One last thing before we go," he said, tearing his eyes away from her.

Raven blinked, "What?"

"No powers today, unless it's an emergency," he replied. "And leave your communicator behind. Don't worry, I'll have mine."

"But... why?"

"Because," he said, looking back at her, "today, we're going to be teens, not Titans."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Aww, isn't that sweet? A shout out to the X-Rae 'shippers.


	31. 12: Teens, Not Titans 3

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 12: Teens, Not Titans (3/4) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Transformation for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Even superheroes need a day off sometimes.

Author's Note: Don't expect too much action in this episode from here on.

* * *

Raven wasn't paying much attention to where they were going. Xander had led her to a motorcycle and tossed her a helmet. It had taken her a few minutes to recognize the now-unadorned N-Cycle for what it was.

Apparently, it had a "civilian" mode.

Right now, though, her mind was occupied by other thoughts, like why she was feeling so warm clinging to Xander's back.

No, not warm. Safe.

She hadn't felt safe around him since... since he'd first appeared in the Tower, oh so long ago. It was a little unsettling. How could she feel safe around a man who'd told her himself that he'd been making preparations to kill her when -- not if, in her mind -- the need arose?

Maybe that was it. More than anything, she feared what she would do when... when that time came. And though it might cost her her life in the process, Xander would make sure that would never happen.

No matter what.

With that riddle solved -- as bizarre as the answer was -- Raven tightened her grip and rested her head on his back, snuggling in closer and soaking in the feeling.

And somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized something else. She had never felt safe before, not since she first learned of her destiny.

* * *

Xander knew the perfect spot. He had the perfect plan.

Raven would have fun today if it killed them bo-... nonono, better stay away from phrasing like that.

After all, Red Raven probably knew how to have fun, but not in the good way.

Raven was oddly silent as he led her through the park. Well, maybe not that oddly for her, but even as he jabbered on about anything that came to mind, she remained stubbornly silent, apparently content to follow, listen, and stare.

It was the staring that was starting to bug him.

He really should have been more attention to what he was talking about, rather than mindlessly trying to fill the silence. If he had telepathy, he would probably started running, as her thoughts were pretty much along the lines of: _Mmm... Speedo..._

"...so, here we are!" he said hurriedly, gesturing at the isolated little vale. The trees around it were more numerous and closer together than usual, combining with a thick ring of shrubbery several yards across to cut off the vale from the rest of the park -- indeed, the rest of the city -- and created a circle of... well, maybe not quite paradise, but darn close, in his opinion, in the middle of the metropolis. A single stone bench was the only intrusion of civilization into the vale.

"So... now what?" she asked.

"Now," Xander said, "we live. Here, catch."

"Huh?" Raven caught what he threw at her and blinked at it in confusion. It looked vaguely like a gun, but it was made of plastic and colored in bright yellows, greens, and oranges.

Was that tank filled with water?

Pssh!

"Hey!" Raven sputtered as her face was suddenly introduced to a pressure-driven spray of water.

"Gotcha!" Xander grinned and ran off.

"Why you!" she snarled as she charged after him, pumping her own watergun, unable to keep a grin from her face.

* * *

Xander grinned, crouched hidden in a tree. The perch was -- as so many other things today so far -- perfect. It provided him with an excellent field of view while allowing him to keep himself hidden, and he could climb up to it -- and back down to the ground -- quickly and easily.

So far, despite repeated attempts, Raven had only managed to score a single hit, a graze to his shirt sleeve, while he'd managed to thoroughly soak her, head to toe.

"Oh, come on, Xander!" Raven called as she walked into view, looking for him. "Gimme a shot! Don't you think I'm wet enough by now? I'm dripping here!"

It was also at that very moment that he got his first good look at her since the watergun fight started.

_She's not wearing a bra..._

"Urk!"

WHAM!

"Ow..." he muttered as he looked up... and straight at the muzzle of Raven's water gun.

"Gotcha!" Raven grinned.

"All right, all right, I surrender!" Xander sputtered as the stream of water sprayed his face, then tracked down to his chest.

Pssh!

"Truce?" he tried.

"Truce," she agreed, offering him a hand up.

Raven watched as Xander stripped off his shirt and squeezed it dry. After a moment, he turned and tossed it at her.

"Here," he said, "put this on."

"What?" she asked, surprised. "Why?"

"Umm... well..." he coughed and pointedly looked away.

She looked down, then put the offered shirt on, then calmly walked over to where Xander stood...

...and slapped him.

"Pervert."

"What?"

"You're the one that sprayed me."

"I didn't think you'd go bra-less," Xander shot back defensively. "Besides, it's not like I looked."

"You looked long enough to notice," Raven growled. "I borrowed this from Starfire. I could barely breathe in this thing with my bra on."

"Sorry, sorry!"

She frowned, "...and why don't you look anyway? Is... is there something wrong with the way I look? I mean, Starfire certainly thought so, back when we switched bodies..."

"No!" Xander snapped. "No. What on Earth got you on this tangent, Rae? You're beautiful." He walked up to her and brushed her bangs aside, "And believe me, I know beautiful."

"Thank you."

He sighed, "But this does prove my earlier point."

"Huh?" she shot him a quizzical look.

"Your emotions," he said. "You're not used to dealing with them, so you're going to extremes."

A wolf-whistle shattered the silence, "Woo hoo! Lookin' good, Boss-man!"

They jerked apart and looked over to see the other Titans in civilian clothing. Even Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire -- Garfield, Victor, and Koriand'r -- looked like perfectly ordinary humans.

"We figured we could all use some time off," Dick said.

"How...?" Raven asked.

"Holographic projectors," Vic explained. "We're still the same underneath, but now we can blend a little."

"So, Boss..." Abbey said, and Xander suppressed a groan at her tone of voice, "why's little Rae-Rae wearing your shirt?"

Raven's cheeks burned at that.

"Well, uh, I got her wet, and..."

"I'll just bet you did, Boss," Abbey grinned. She shook her head, "Damn it, Boss, I thought we burned all of those gawd-awful..."

Pssh!

"Eep!" she shrieked and tried to cover herself.

"Oh, come on, Ab," Xander grinned, "what's with the sudden shy streak?"

"This shirt is white," Abbey growled, "and I'm not wearing a bra. Looking sexy is one thing; flashing the entire f---ing city is another."

"If the entire city were really doing that, do you really think they'd care?" Xander taunted.

"Oh, come on. Not even for Dick? Or should that be 'Dick's dick'?"

All eyes turned to Raven in shock, and her triumphant smirk faded.

"What?"

_Oh, God,_ Xander thought. _It's contagious. Faith, I'm going to kill you._

For her part, Raven felt her face redden as she considered what she'd said.

_Xander was right,_ she thought. _I can't handle my emotions properly._

"Good one!" Abbey gave her an enthusiastic slap on the back that sent her stumbling. "There's hope for you yet, you little Rae of sunshine."

"Ouch," Xander shook his head. "Damn, Ab, that was bad."

"What, you're the only one who can make a bad joke?" the slayer shot back.

"Of course not," he replied easily. "That's what Gar's here for."

"Hey!" the shapeshifter snapped. "My jokes aren't that bad... are they?"

Crickets chirped.

* * *

There had been a second watergun fight, but Xander and Raven both decided to sit out this time. As Raven had so eloquently put it, they were both quite wet enough. Raven was content to watch while Xander busied himself with the grill Vic had brought.

An array of burgers, hot dogs, ribs, and steaks -- along with one area for tofu burgers as a concession to Gar -- were sizzling merrily the grill. Xander had added an extravagant chef's hat and a large apron to his attire, but he still remained shirtless.

By now, the Titans had emptied the waterguns and swapped them out for a frisbee.

"Xander?"

"Hmm?" Xander turned. "Hey, Kori. The food'll be ready in a few minutes."

"I wish... to talk to you," she said. "What you said before... I cannot thank you enough."

He shrugged, "It's only the truth."

She stroked his cheek and smiled, "You... truly believe that."

"So, how much longer?" Raven asked, breaking the silence, and Xander sent her silent thank you.

At least Raven wasn't after him. With Jinx and Kori already ready to tear each other's throat out, he wasn't sure he'd survive if Raven joined them... or if Kara had taken the flirting seriously.

"Just a few more minutes," he answered, turning back to the grill.

Kori frowned at Raven, who met her gaze.

Challenge... accepted.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

He's making some progress at being less oblivious...


	32. 12: Teens, Not Titans 4

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 12: Teens, Not Titans (4/4) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Transformation for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Even superheroes need a day off sometimes.

Author's Note: Don't expect too much action in this episode from here on.

* * *

Raven shivered as they approached the vehicles. Xander had already reclaimed his shirt, and as night fell, it was starting to get cold.

"Here," Xander said, pulling out his jacket from the N-Cycle's small cargo compartment.

"Thanks," she smiled.

"Hey, I'm cold too," Abbey pouted.

"And you've been colder," Xander replied. "Or have you forgotten that frost demon in Zaire?"

"Yeah, I remember that," she said with a nostalgic smile. "That's when we pierced Janice's nipples."

"Against her will, as I recall."

"Aw, c'mon, you saw the way they were sticking out, Boss. Her nips only ever got that hard when you..."

"Don't go there, Ab," he glared.

"So, what now?" Raven asked. "Do we head home?"

"Nope," Xander shook his head. "We're gonna go hit a nightclub and relax. Y'know, dance, drink, hang out, hunt vampires..." he paused and frowned, "...uh, wait, strike that last one."

"You call hunting vampires relaxing?" Dick frowned.

"Hey, as long as they aren't plotting an apocalypse, there's really nothing special about vampires back home," Xander protested. "They're everywhere. They're like... like roaches. No big deal, really."

"Boss..." Abbey slung an arm around his shoulders, "take it from me. You really need a vacation. Either that, or you need to get laid."

"Let's just go," Xander said, ignoring the look on Kori's face.

He was just glad Jinx wasn't around. He doubted he could take much more of her... "attention." He didn't like to admit it, but she was wearing him down, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could resist.

* * *

"Xander, would you like to dance?"

Xander blinked at Raven dumbly. "Dance? Me?"

"Kori and Jinx both got dances out of you," she pointed out, an innocent smile on her face. The smile set off a few alarm bells in Xander's head... but then again, he did bring her here to teach her to enjoy life...

"Sure."

It was a good thing Kori's transformation wasn't quite complete, otherwise the death glare she was sending at Raven very well might have killed her.

Xander, naturally, missed it completely.

Raven, for her part, was trying not to laugh. Xander had a... unique dancing style to the fast song that was playing. As the song ended, he drifted back to the table the not-Titans had claimed for themselves, but she yanked him back to the dance floor and settled herself against him.

This time, it was a slow song.

"Ack!" They were soon joined by Abbey and Dick... and Dick didn't look particularly happy about it either, judging from the looks he was shooting back at the table and the fact that it was Kori he'd asked to dance.

Xander was suddenly very self-conscious. Here he was, in full geek-out mode, slow dancing with Raven, uber-hot half-demon. Okay, so the demon part wasn't new... and really, neither was the uber-hot part... but the fact that he knew she wasn't going to try and sacrifice or eat him at the end of the night was... well, that was different.

The whispered comments he was trying to ignore didn't help much.

"Damn, how'd a geek like him score a babe like her?" uttered an envious male voice.

That was immediately followed by a grunt of pain as a female voice shot back, "Geek or not, he's a hunk under that awful shirt. Look at those muscles."

Raven blushed as she leaned into Xander. At the not-Titans' table, Kori fumed.

Another male voice snorted, "I guess the Dorkus Maximus look is in or something."

"Hmph," came another female voice, "he obviously has no taste if he's with a slut like that."

Raven frowned at that... and frowned even further as she felt Xander stiffen, and they danced toward the last voice at his lead.

He swung his hand -- clasped with hers -- back in a sweeping motion that struck the haughty woman across the face. They spun, and his other hand smacked her across the other cheek. A moment later, they were dancing back onto the dance floor.

"Now that," someone commented, looking at the swirly-eyed woman, "she had coming."

Dick was extremely uncomfortable. Now he had an idea what Xander must've felt like while dancing with Kori and Jinx during that prom last week.

It probably would've been less embarassing if Abbey hadn't decided to use him as a stripper's pole.

The glares Xander was shooting his way while silently mouthing "shovel" certainly weren't helping either.

Never before had he been so glad to hear his emergency communicator go off.

* * *

Plasmus had attacked a football stadium. Xander wasn't even going to try and speculate why a game was being held this late, complete with a band, but he was glad there were no spectators... or that the spectators had already left.

So far, nothing the Titans were doing was accomplishing much. Even Starfire -- who was concealing her transformation with a slight tweak to the holodisguise -- could only blast the sewage- and toxic-eating monster apart for a few seconds before he reformed, this time with pockets of sewage scattered throughout.

Luckily, Xander had a plan.

"Cover me!"

He charged, avoiding the pieces of itself Plasmus threw, and dove right into Plasmus's body.

A moment later, Plasmus dissolved, and Xander brushed the the remnants of Plasmus from his cape. "Yecch," he said. "Remind me not to do that again."

"What did you do, Nighthawk?" Robin asked.

Xander held up a syringe and said, "Phenobarbitol. He only turns into Plasmus when he's awake, so I figured a sedative was worth a try." He looked down, "I just hope none of Plasmus got in him when I injected him."

"Good job."

* * *

"Well, that was a fine way to end the day," Raven said sourly as the entered the Tower.

"It's not over yet." She looked at Nighthawk, who explained, "Now, we change into some comfy sweats, grab some junk food, and watch a good B movie." He held up a DVD and added, "And tonight, I'm gonna introduce you to one of my childhood heroes: Ash Williams."

"'Army of Darkness'?" Raven read the cover, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

* * *

"That... explains so much," Dick concluded as he looked at Xander, trying to ignore the way Abbey was draped over his side.

Xander merely grinned and shrugged as well as he was able -- considering that Raven and Kori had both apparently decided he made a good pillow and were now sound asleep -- and said, "Well, it's not like I had room for a twelve-gauge or chainsaw."

"Hmm," Vic mused, "chainsaw..."

* * *

An old man looked at the Tower and grinned, rubbing his hands together gleefully.

"You won't stop me this time, my duckies. None of you."

* * *

Xander was waiting when Kori emerged from her chrysalis.

"Xander?" she blinked. She looked down at herself, "I am... normal."

He grinned, "I told you everything would be all right, didn't I?"

"Yes," she smiled, glomping onto him, "you did."

_God?_ Xander thought. _The usual request?_

* * *

Author's Postscript:

That's the end of that one, folks.


	33. 13: School Daze

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 13: School Daze (1/1) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Transformation for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Moddy's back, and he's not happy.

Author's Note: I've been setting up for this for quite a while. Too bad I can't really write Moddy well at all.

* * *

"Huh?" Robin muttered as he looked around and struggled with the restraints binding him to the chair.

He was in a large room with balconies and paintings across the walls, and he could see the other Titans -- similarly restrained -- to either side of him.

All except one.

"What?" Cyborg blurted out, looking at the steel strap across his chest.

"Huh?" Beast Boy looked around. "Am I the only one who has no idea where we are?"

"Why, you're right where you belong, my duckies," came the answer in a Cockney accent. "You're in school!" Mad Mod cackled as he leaped onto a staircase banister and slid down it, landing in front of the Titans.

Twirling his cane, he elaborated, "That's right, lads and loveys. You're the only students at Mad Mod's Institute for Bratty Teenage Do-Gooders." Tossing his cane up, he caught it with his other hand and pointed it at them, "And it's high time someone taught you sprogs a lesson."

"What have you done with Nighthawk!" Robin demanded.

"Oh, him?" Mad Mod asked. "I've got somethin' special planned for that brat."

* * *

"Hello there, my duckie."

Xander looked up and instantly recognized the British madman. "Mad Mod." He looked down and noticed something else was amiss.

Except for his mask and the straps binding him to the chair, he was completely nude.

He looked back up, "Um, hate to break it to you, but I don't swing that way."

"Ah ah ah!" Mad Mod waved his cane at Xander. "I've studied you, Nighthawk. Your belt, your boots, your cape, your tights, your underpants, there's nowhere left for you to hide anything."

"At least you let me keep my mask," Xander said with a sigh. "I appreciate that, by the way."

He spat.

"But I wouldn't say nowhere."

"Argh! My eye! I'm blind!" Mad Mod clutched at his face as he recoiled in surprise from the mouth dart Xander had spat at him.

Xander winced, "Ooh. Sorry. I know how that feels, believe me."

Mad Mod vanished, and the room darkened.

After a moment, Xander sighed.

"Hello?"

Not even an echo responded.

He sighed again.

"Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer..."

* * *

"...six hundred and forty-eight rubber chickens in the pantry, six hundred and forty-eight rubber chickens..."

Xander considered himself a pretty normal guy. That he hunted vampires and demons in his high school years and had made saving the world a regular hobby of his over the last ten years didn't really count, in his opinion.

After all, as far as he was concerned, all he did was what any decent person would do if they knew. And he was certainly pitiably normal compared to the others he'd fought with.

Hyena, soldier, and First Slayer possessions aside.

In short, he was, in fact, rather deluded.

But in all other respects, he was fairly normal, and Xander's mind was as much at risk from sensory deprivation as any other, and he was currently losing the battle to hold onto what passed for his sanity.

Hence the new song.

"Feel ready to participate now, guv'nor?"

Xander started at the interruption as a massive swirling screen flared to life in front of him.

"Huh?"

Five minutes later, he was back to having trouble keeping his eyes open.

"Why aren't you hypnotized!" he heard Mad Mod shriek.

"'Cause," Xander said lazily, "it'll take more than a stupid little hypno-screen to mess with my head. It's already too crowded in here anyway, Moddy, so all I can say is: No vacancies."

Mad Mod stormed out in front of him, waving his cane around in an inarticulate rage.

"And hey, could you turn up the thermostat or something?" Xander asked cheerfully. "I'm freezin' here! What is it with you Brits and the cold, huh? Oh, glad the eye bit wasn't permanent."

After all, while Xander didn't have much issue with killing someone when it was necessary, maiming was just cruel.

"How'd it hurt you, anyway?" Xander asked. "I mean, you're a hologram, right?"

"'Ow did you know that?" Mad Mod screamed in frustration... just before one of the doors exploded.

"Nighthawk!" Starfire called as she flew in. "We have come to resc- oh!" she stopped up short.

"Oh, my..." Raven, right behind the Tamaranian, also stopped, staring at Xander, who squirmed under their gaze.

"Hey! A little privacy, please?"

"Oh! Of... course," Starfire blushed and turned away as Raven unhooked her cloak and telekinetically sent it flying to wrap around him.

Xander shivered as the cloak brushed across...

Why was Raven grinning like that?

On second thought, he didn't want to know.

"Shouldn't it be the hero coming to rescue the damsels?" Raven asked.

"Yeah, well," Xander deadpanned, "I got a little tied up."

Starfire giggled and turned back to him, then reached over and snapped his restraints. Xander rose and wrapped Raven's cloak around him more securely.

"'Ey stop ignorin' me!"

Xander blinked at Mad Mod, "You're still here?"

"ARGH!"

* * *

"So... not that I'm complaining," Raven said as they made their way through the umpteenth identical hallway, "but why did he strip you naked?"

"Apparently, he found out about the garrote wire I keep hidden in the hem of my briefs and the pick set in my cup," Xander replied.

Raven thought about that for a moment, then concluded, "Okay... maybe I didn't want to know."

"Um, now that I think about it, can we find my clothes? Not that I don't appreciate the cloak, Rae, but it's a touch..." Xander paused, "...drafty."

"Sorry," Raven shrugged.

"That, and I think it's getting kinda grabby," Xander added, as they exited the hallway and found themselves in a large atrium with a set of stairs leading to a balcony level above.

He completely missed both Raven's blush and Starfire's suspicious frown, focusing more on the figure that appeared at the top of the stairs.

"You! Get down here and gimme back my clothes!"

"Ha!" Mad Mod vanished from the top of the stairs and waved a finger at Xander. "I shan't be giving you weapons, boy."

Xander glowered, "There's something I want you to know, Moddy."

"Oh?" the crazed Brit raised a curious eyebrow. "Wot's that?"

"One, I have a very well-established ten-year career at pissing off Brits," Xander began, ticking off points on his fingers. "Two, neither of the last two schools I set foot in survived. Three, so far, to my knowledge, only..." he paused, "...three of the faculty members -- in total -- got out alive. And one was the guidance counselor, another was the librarian. We were on the third principal, I think." He grinned, "The first two got eaten."

Mad Mod gulped and vanished. Reappearing at the top of the stairs, he mustered his nerve and waved, "You'll have to catch me first, lad!" That said, he turned and fled.

"Did they really get eaten?" Raven asked as they charged up the stairs.

"Yup," Xander nodded. "Not by me, though. I only ate the school mascot."

Starfire gasped.

"Hey! I was possessed!" Xander protested as he slammed the double doors open.

He stared.

"Duck!"

Matching actions to words, he dove to the side as weapons fire blasted out through the doorway.

* * *

After running the gauntlet, the trio found themselves at another doorway. With hand gestures, Xander signaled them to get ready.

In a flash, they burst through the door together... and froze.

Raptor raised a very suggestive eyebrow, "Wow, Boss, you've been busy."

"Don't start," Xander said, clutching Raven's cloak closer and glaring. "And what have you been doing all this time, Raptor?"

Raptor grinned and glanced over to where the other male Titans lay slumped together and said, "They got all wore out."

"Raptor..."

"Hey!" chorused three male voices.

She chuckled, "Relax. Just yanking your chain, Boss. Had some big fights, and slayer recovery's got me bouncing back before them, is all."

Xander raised an eyebrow and shot a skeptical look at the three panicking Titans, then swept his gaze back to Raptor, "Y'know, there's this crazy old British guy who's monitoring everything that goes on in here."

"Damn. And the little perv probably falls under Rule Six, doesn't he?" Raptor asked.

Xander nodded.

She growled and kicked a wall, then paused to wrench her foot out. "Damn cheap-ass Brit couldn't even spring for quality walls."

"Now, now," Xander said, "not all of them can be as fussy as Giles. Besides, you could break through two feet of solid oak if you tried."

She sniffed, "It's the principle of the matter, Boss."

Xander rolled his eyes.

"Hey, I think we can get out this way," Robin murmured, crouching by where Raptor had kicked a hole in the wall.

* * *

Let it never be said that Xander Harris was unable to teach his slayers restraint.

Mad Mod only got two broken bones and three cracked ribs by the time he was turned over to JCPD, cursing Nighthawk's name every step of the way.

"He seems to have it in for you, Nighthawk," Raven noted. "Why?"

Xander shrugged, "Probably because I foiled his last attempt to pull this stunt a while back and left him tied up dangling in front of a police station. Speaking of which..." he leaned over by the police car, "...I'd been meaning to ask, Moddy. How'd you get out?"

"Well, they couldn't lock me up without any charges, now could they, guv?"

Xander blinked.

Then facefaulted.

"C'mon," Robin said, "let's go home."

Xander glanced back at the school Mad Mod had built and sighed, "Damn it, and I was hoping to go three for three."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Yecch. I hate writing Moddy. It's beyond my skill to translate his very visual effects to prose, so don't expect this crazy old Brit to show up ever again. Yes, another filler episode, but in the previous ep, I promised Moddy, so I felt I had to deliver.

Enough lighthearted humor and comedy! Next up, time to get serious.


	34. 14: Grace of God 0

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 14: Grace of God (0/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Winner Take All for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: The Tournament of Heroes has begun, but trouble brews back home.

Author's Note: Sorry, folks, but I've been planning this for a while now.

* * *

"Fire beats Wood," Raven said.

"But Water beats Fire," Cyborg put his own card on the pile.

"Sun dries up Water," Beast Boy placed his card down.

"And Thunderstorm blocks out Sun," Robin countered.

Xander laid his cards face down on the table and waved for Raven to go, "I quit."

"I'm out," Raven said.

"Me too." That was Beast Boy.

"I wish to... go the fish?" Starfire said hesitantly.

Raven and Beast Boy checked her cards, while Xander merely leaned back and crossed his arms. He had a pretty good idea what was coming next.

"Uh, you want to fold, Starfire," Beast Boy suggested.

"'Fold'?" Starfire repeated. "That is good? I am victorious?"

Beast Boy and Raven both shook their heads. After a nervous moment, Starfire hung her head and laid her cards face down on the table as well.

"Sorry, Star," Robin said as he stood and reached for the pile. "I guess I'm just... invincible!"

"Ah ah ah," Cyborg interrupted. "How can you be invincible if I've still got one card? Come on, Robin. You know you want to play me for it. One last round, winner take all.

"You're on, Cyborg, and you're going down!" Robin replied, sitting back down and checking his cards. After a long moment of consideration, he made his choice: "Tornado! Beat that!"

"Ooooh!" came the response from three of the four who were out.

After another long moment, Cyborg shrugged, "Well, okay." He slammed his card down on the table, "Booya!"

Robin stared. "Meteor?"

"The one-in-a-million wild card that beats all others!" Beast Boy wiped a tear from his eye. "Ohhh... it's too beautiful for words."

"Aw, yeah, baby!" Cyborg began sweeping the cards toward him. "Who's invincible now?"

"Be proud and cheerful, Robin," Starfire said. "You competed well."

"Winning isn't everything," Raven added.

"Yeah..." Robin agreed... for a moment, "it's just the only thing that matters." He slammed his fist on the table and snarled, "I want a rematch!"

"Um... I don't know how to tell you this, man, but... you're outta cards," Cyborg pointed out.

"Beast Boy, gimme your cards," Robin snapped.

Beast Boy held up his empty hands, "Uh..."

Suddenly, Beast Boy and Robin vanished in a flash of light.

"Huh?" Cyborg looked around, before he too vanished in a flash of light.

"This is part of the game?" Starfire asked.

"Uhh..." Raven shrugged.

Xander leaned back and waited. And waited. And waited some more. And frowned.

"Hey!"

* * *

In her room, Abbey froze as she channel surfed over the newscast.

"Aw, hell."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Finally got around to writing this next episode. Sorry about the hiatus, folks, but inspiration just disappeared for a while.


	35. 14: Grace of God 1

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 14: Grace of God (1/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Winner Take All for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: The Tournament of Heroes has begun, but trouble brews back home.

Author's Note: Sorry, folks, but I've been planning this for a while now.

* * *

"War Wheels? They've got WAR WHEELS!" Xander sputtered, staring at the newscast. He spun, "Get to the T-Jet. I'm calling the Justice League."

The "T-Jet" was, in reality, the airplane Nighthawk had "appropriated" from Slade for the trip to Gotham City. Cyborg had since made numerous modifications and originally dubbed it the "T-Wing."

A half hour of Star Wars cracks from Nighthawk and Beast Boy -- including at least one comparison between Slade and Darth Vader -- led to its new name.

* * *

"Let me get this straight, Boss," Raptor said as they strapped in. "The Justice League is stopping another war in Kasnia, helping with an earthquake in Bangladesh and two mud slides in South America, and fighting off another probe from Apokolips."

Xander nodded as he began to power up the T-Jet, "Yup."

"And they're so busy with all that, they can't stop to fight off a f---in' NAZI INVASION?" Raptor sputtered.

He shrugged, "Don't look at me. I, for one, don't want Darkseid as a neighbor."

"He is right," Starfire said. "Darkseid's reputation is well-known even on Tamaran. He is not one to be dealt with lightly. Were it not for this problem, I would insist we hurry to assist the Justice League instead."

"I think these guys slipped in under the League's radar anyway," Xander said. "It's not every day you get an invasion from another dimension."

Raptor raised an eyebrow.

"Well, not around here, anyway," Xander amended as he banked the T-Jet and headed for a particular warehouse on the harbor.

"Um, Xander?" Raven said. "They're in the financial district."

"I know," he replied. "We're just stopping by to pick up something."

* * *

"Heyyy!" Raptor grinned at the wooden crates, recognizing the dimensions of them. "RPG-7s! I remember when-..."

"Reminisce later," Xander snapped. "Get 'em on the T-Jet."

Raptor scowled and hefted one of the boxes while Starfire picked up the other one. "I would've thought Mandragora had more than two on that boat of his, though."

"He did," Xander said. "I used the others to pay off a debt a few days ago. Should be arriving pretty soon."

* * *

Alfred Pennyworth eyed the package curiously. Once the FedEx delivery man was gone and Wayne Manor was secure again, he opened the attached envelope and glanced at the letter within.

--

Mr. Wayne,

Thought I'd pay you back. Courtesy of Mandragora Imports.

--Nighthawk

--

Alfred frowned, then knelt down and set to opening the large box.

"Oh my word."

* * *

"You sent them by FedEx!" Raven sputtered. "But... but... dogs! X-rays!"

Raptor grinned knowingly. "The SEP spell, Boss?"

"Yup."

Raven blinked again, "But... but X-rays! Illusions don't work on machines!"

"They work on the people who watch them."

"..." was Raven's eloquent reply.

"Boss has gotcha there, Rae-Rae."

"Don't... ever call me that again."

"We're coming up on them," Xander broke in. "Kori, Rae, you take off on the first pass, evac the civilians and pick targets of opportunity, but stay clear of the War Wheels. Ab, try to get a fix on any weak points on the War Wheels on the first pass, and unload everything on them on the second pass. We'll land and use the RPGs if necessary, then start in on the infantry."

He pulled the lever to open the rear cargo hatch, hesitated for a long moment, then said, "Titans, GO!"

* * *

The plan worked. While Starfire and Raven strafed the infantry column with starbolts and thrown debris, the T-Jet's missiles crippled two War Wheels. After Xander landed the T-Jet, the RPGs claimed one more, and Raven and Starfire moved in on the last one.

"We've got to get everyone organized!" Xander called over his communicator. "Split up and hook up with anyone who's still fighting!" He turned and nodded toward where several police officers had chosen to make a stand behind a barricade of cars, "Raptor, stick with them. I'm gonna take the T-Jet and start strafing."

"You got it, Boss," Raptor grinned, hefting the M-14 battle rifle he'd given her.

* * *

Xander flew another pass over the streets, stitching the Nazi ranks with sonic cannonfire. While Cyborg's sonic cannons were generally not lethal -- basically a raw concussive blast -- the T-Jet's vehicle-mounted ones were, with the safeties off, quite capable of shattering bones and mashing internal organs.

In a way, they were even more brutal than conventional firearms.

Xander made a mental note to not mention to Cyborg that he was able to deactivate the aforementioned safeties.

In all, he was making a very big mess of the invasion plans. It had taken him a moment, but he did pick out something very important about them, though: The flags they flew and the symbols they sported were not the iron crosses and swastikas of Hitler's Germany.

They were the jagged S's (or Sig runes) of Vandal Savage's Germany.

_I just hope he isn't personally coordinating them,_ he thought.

His thoughts were interrupted by a jarring impact on the rear of the T-Jet. It took him a moment to realize it wasn't AA fire, given the lack of explosions after that, and he muttered, "What the hell?"

He turned on the exterior cameras and saw a sight that gave him pause.

With the Sig rune emblazoned on the chest of his black bodysuit, an otherwise very familiar figure clung to the outside of the T-Jet.

"Superman?" he sputtered. "What the...?" He shook his head and began muttering, "Okay, deep breath. Don't panic. Superman is Superman. He's wired to be a good guy. Just look at Red Son. He might serve the Third Reich, but he's still-..."

CRUNCH!

"Oh, shit."

_Brand new paint job,_ he thought. _Cyborg's gonna kill me!_ As the rational part of his mind finally caught up, he bolted from the cockpit and dove out the hatch.

Grabbing his radio, he said the first thing to come to mind: "Nighthawk to all Titans. I could use some air support here. Since I can't fly. At all. Now would be good."

His plummet was suddenly arrested by a certain redhead.

"Do not worry, Nighthawk," Starfire smiled at him. "I have you." She blushed.

Xander wondered at the chill that ran down his spine and decided he didn't want to know. Surely she couldn't be thinking about that at this time. She probably hadn't even noticed the double meaning.

Right?

In the back of his mind, Xander had the odd feeling that someone was laughing at him.

That would be you, by the way, dear readers.

As they landed, Xander looked up and backed away. Starfire rose to meet the Kryptonian and demanded, "Who are you?"

"I am Der Ubermensch."

_God, that's corny,_ Xander thought.

They charged.

The shockwave sent Xander flying.

* * *

_He is strong,_ Starfire thought grimly. _Too strong._

The area was wrecked, the battle between Starfire and the self-proclaimed Ubermensch causing more damage to the surroundings than the War Wheels had.

Starfire was losing.

And she knew it.

Suddenly, she found herself held off the ground, Der Ubermensch's hand wrapped around her throat.

Darkness closed in on her.

* * *

"INCENDERE!" Xander snarled, hurling a bolt of illusionary fire at the Kryptonian.

Der Ubermensch dropped Starfire and backed away in surprise, "Zauber?"

It took Xander a moment to recognize the German word for magic.

"And more where that came from," Xander said coolly. "Turn around, walk away."

Der Ubermensch charged.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Cliffhanger, ahoy! And yes, Xander did quote Batman.


	36. 14: Grace of God 2

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 14: Grace of God (2/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Winner Take All for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: The Tournament of Heroes has begun, but trouble brews back home.

Author's Note: Sorry, folks, but I've been planning this for a while now.

* * *

_Shit,_ Xander thought. "INCENDERE!"

Der Ubermensch flew through the illusionary flames with impunity.

Xander scrambled for the only spell among the handful he knew that could actually hurt the Kryptonian.

While in Africa, he had found himself bereft of enchanted weaponry on an uncomfortable number of occasions. There was, thankfully, a fairly simple spell he could cast that could briefly give a weapon a magical aura. It did absolutely nothing else. It only providing a magical aura that could pierce some fairly nonspecific immunities.

He had to use a silver weapon for it, though. Anything else produced... unpredictable results.

Right now, he was really hoping silver-plated was good enough.

Xander finished the spell and hurled the throwing blade... then stared as it seemed to melt and elongate into a pencil-thin javelin, piercing Der Ubermensch's shoulder and impaling the Kryptonian.

"Whoa," he stared. "Cool." His gaze flicked around as he waited for the inevitable karmic backlash of having something cool actually happen to help him.

"Banzai!"

Materializing almost out of nowhere, Raptor pounced on Der Ubermensch, fists raining down on him with merciless ferocity, backed my magical strength that bypassed much of the Kryptonian's yellow-sun-powered invulnerability. Der Ubermensch stumbled back under the assault, until -- in a vision reminiscent of fabled Arthur and the sword in the stone -- Raptor pulled the long shard from Der Ubermensch...

...and was sent flying as Der Ubermensch retaliated, punching her into a brick wall.

_I'm gonna have to talk to her about when not to go all 'ooh, shiny,'_ Xander thought darkly. _This is getting us nowhere._ His thoughts drifted wistfully back to the Tower. He had a full clip of kryptonite bullets there, made from the chunk of kryptonite that powered that Sladebot he'd run into in Smallville.

Suddenly, energy beams rained down on Der Ubermensch. Xander blinked and looked up.

_Who is that guy? Steel? No. Booster Gold, maybe? He might be available, but the suit doesn't match..._

Something nagged at the back of his mind... something about the battlesuit's purple and green color scheme...

Once the barrage ended, the battlesuited new arrival landed next to him. "That won't put him down for long," came a distorted voice.

Xander nodded, "No shit, Sherlock. I've got something back at the Tower, but..."

The helmeted head nodded, and he turned back to the crater, "I'll keep him busy."

Xander nodded back and did the hardest thing he ever did.

He ran.

* * *

Five minutes earlier...

/Nighthawk to all Titans. I could use some air support here. Since I can't fly. At all. Now would be good./

Raven turned. "Xander," she breathed as fear gripped her heart. Gunfire tore her back to the more immediate situation, and she dove into the ground, phasing through the street and catching a breather.

Merging with her soulself, she turned and oriented on where she sensed her... on where she sensed Xander, halfway across the city, and made a beeline for him.

* * *

Now...

"Gyah!" Nighthawk jumped when she emerged from the alley's street in front of him. "Don't do that!" he hissed as he paused to catch his breath and looked around worriedly.

"What?" she asked, hurt.

"Hold on," he grabbed her and yanked her into a doorway.

She noted that he was holding her awfully close. She decided she liked it.

Peeking out, he blew out a sigh of relief, "Coast is clear."

"What's going on?" she murmured, leaning into him.

"Evil Superman," he replied bluntly. "Kryptonite bullets. Trunk. My room. Tower."

"Let's go."

* * *

"Oh, no..." Xander stared.

An inferno raged in an apartment building, and dozens of voices cried out for help.

"We have to help them," Raven said, floating toward the building.

"No," his face hardened, grabbing her shoulder and stopping her. "You have to get my bullets. I have to help them."

She studied him for a long moment. "It's not your fault," she said softly.

He nodded, "I know."

Sticking out of the inferno, just barely visible, was the tail of the T-Jet.

"But the fact is," he continued, "someone's got to help them, and someone's got to get those bullets... and I can't fly."

* * *

Raven flew toward Titans' Tower. It was not a smooth flight; her powers flickered erratically around her. She had left him. She had left all of them behind to fight an army.

That they needed what she was on her way to get didn't make her feel any less guilty, and that guilt was playing havoc with her powers.

Behind her, two planes moved into position.

The pilots smiled as they opened fire.

* * *

Raptor was not having a good day. The odd spear that had impaled the bad guy turned out to not be such a good weapon after all. She was getting better results with her bare hands.

Unfortunately, "better" did not mean "good." There was no way she could trade blows with this bruiser and come out on top.

Starfire was doing marginally better, but again, "better" did not mean "good."

The only one who seemed to doing well was the mystery man in the green and purple armor, whose green energy blasts seemed to stun the bad guy, setting him up for either Raptor or Starfire to lay into him. Unfortunately, he'd taken a nasty hit and had had to pull out.

"As the Boss would say," she bit off between gasps, "we need a new plan. 'Cause this one ain't workin'."

"I concur," Starfire replied. "Do you have any suggestions?"

"Um, drop a building on him?"

"Very well. You get him in position, and I will drop the building."

"..." was Raptor's eloquent reply.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Starfire said. "Was that... 'quip-age'?"

"Err, not exactly," Raptor mumbled. "But hey, it's worth a shot." She charged and swung, "Hey, Sergeant Iron Tights! Eat this!"

The haymaker struck the aforementioned "Sergeant Iron Tights" in the jaw, spinning him around and sending him flying into a brick townhouse. Starbolts shot out and shattered key support beams, bringing the entire building down.

Starfire hovered next to Raptor, "Um, I believe he said his name was Der Ubermensch, not Sergeant Iron Tights."

"No no no," Raptor said, "see, that was quip-age."

"Oh, I see." It was obvious she didn't.

That was when the I-beam was thrown at them.

"Aw, hell," Raptor muttered as she dove out of the way.

Suddenly, something arced through the air over them and lodged into Der Ubermensch's shoulder.

"This time, don't pull it out!" came the familiar sound of Nighthawk's snarl.

"Um, oops?" Raptor's face reddened... just as the silver-plated throwing blade exploded, showering her with flecks of molten steel and silver.

"Damn it!"

"You're very persistent, boy," the Kryptonian snarled.

"Why does everyone insist on calling me 'boy'!" Xander snarled right back.

Suddenly, Der Ubermensch was in his face, "Because you are one."

Xander stumbled back and unhooked his cape. Swinging it around and hurling it, he yelled, "Catch!"

The Kryptonian did... and in a flash of heat vision, fried the detonator. "That really wouldn't have worked anyway."

WHAM!

Der Ubermensch crumpled to his knees, mouth open in a silent scream.

Raptor hopped around on one foot while clutching the other and swearing a storm about "nads of steel."

Xander knew it wasn't going to work. But the opportunity was staring him right in the face, and he could not let it pass.

He promptly shoved his derringer in Der Ubermensch's mouth and let loose with both barrels.

"Eat that."

"That was really bad, Boss."

"You're still in trouble, young lady," he glared.

Der Ubermensch continued hacking and coughing.

"Well, how was I supposed to know, huh?"

"Rule Seven, Raptor."

"Oh, come on. How does that...? I mean, that can't possibly..."

"Rule Seven, Raptor," he repeated. "'Contrary to what your instincts might say, weapons are not toys. Especially if they're magical.' KP. Two weeks."

"Boss!"

"Huh?"

WHAM!

"I admire your disciplinary methods, but the battlefield is hardly the place for them, boy."

"Leave him alone!"

Der Ubermensch turned and planted his fist into the charging Tamaranian's face. He looked over at Raptor... and spat twice. Raptor wondered what the hell was going on for half a second before the forty-four slugs slammed into her.

CLANG!

Der Ubermensch turned, and Xander swung his axe again. Der Ubermensch caught the weapon and tore it out of his grip. He backhanded him and stalked toward him, "For all their power, you are more dangerous. Just like the rebel Wayne."

Suddenly, he found himself flying backwards.

"Leave. Him. Alone."

Raven had returned.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

And next, the ideals of two worlds collide.


	37. 14: Grace of God 3

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 14: Grace of God (3/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link. Plus, archived at http/ or http/ Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Winner Take All for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: The Tournament of Heroes has begun, but trouble brews back home.

Author's Note: Just so it's clear, the invaders are from the Nazi world seen in the first part of the Justice League episode The Savage Time. Robin, Beast Boy, and Cyborg were teleported away for the Tournament of Heroes, and the events there are going as in canon.

* * *

Xander watched, tight-lipped, as Raven -- scary, four-eyed, demon-y Raven -- used her powers to toss Der Ubermensch around like a limp rag doll. The Kryptonian shuddered with every impact, unable to even catch his breath between blows.

"Damn, Boss, she's scary."

Xander glared at the slayer, "Get your ass down before you bleed yourself dry, you idiot."

"Aw, c'mon, Boss," she said. "It's just a..." she paused as she stumbled and caught her balance, "...a flesh wound."

"The arm, maybe, but not the collarbone," he said. "Sit down," he said, using what she and his other slayers had dubbed his "Command Voice."

She complied.

He felt along her collarbone, and she flinched. "Yeah, cracked it." He reached into his utility belt and applied one of his slap patches.

"Thanks, Boss," she said, her gaze turning to Raven. "We gonna stop her?"

"Eventually. I gotta check on Star first."

"She's out cold," Raptor replied. "Scratched and bruised, maybe a mild concussion, nothing major."

Xander nodded. While he was able to train his slayers in enough first aid to accurately report everyone else's injuries, the sense of invulnerability the slayer powers seemed to give them just refused to let go.

Hence the macho posturing.

Not that he was crazy or suicidal enough to call it that to any slayer's face.

Well, most of the time, anyway.

Xander forced himself to his feet as he absent-mindedly catalogued his own injuries. His face was a mess, that was for sure. Broken nose, but at least no missing teeth this time, miracle of miracles. At least two broken ribs, three cracked. Another one that he wasn't sure if it was actually broken or just cracked. Wrenched joints -- especially the shoulder from helping that big guy out of the burning building -- bruises and cuts all over his body. Oh, and every muscle screaming out in pain from lactic acid overload and muscle strain.

He was definitely not a pretty sight right now, but aside from the ribs, he was doing okay. He probably wouldn't have broken those two if he hadn't kept pushing himself.

"Raven!" he called out. "RAVEN!" he tried again, this time in his Command Voice. She turned and blinked at him, as if seeing him for the first time. "That's enough," he said, his voice softening. "You have the package?"

She nodded wordlessly and handed it to him. He drew his Colt, ejected the magazine, opened the small, lead-lined case, and slid the magazine within into the pistol.

Xander calmly racked the slide and approached the Kryptonian.

"What are you going to do?" Raven whispered.

"There's still an army out there," he replied coldly. "I'm going to break their will."

Der Ubermensch -- weakened by the mere proximity of kryptonite -- slowly began to lift his head to look at his executioner.

BLAM!

Xander didn't give him the chance.

* * *

On an entirely different world, one ruled by Vandal Savage, a man much older than his years slowly regained consciousness.

He groaned.

"It's all right," came a deep voice. "You're safe now. We got you out of there."

He looked up. "Who are you?" he asked, staring in puzzlement. _That looks like..._

"Bruce Wayne," came the curt reply. "We heard Savage's men had captured someone -- you -- and used information from you to launch an interdimensional invasion. It looks like they failed, but we thought you might be able to help us here. What's your name?"

"Xander," he said. "Xander Harris."

* * *

"Red's already one of your girls, huh?" Raptor asked.

"Huh?"

"C'mon, Boss," the slayer snorted. "We're both messed up way worse than Red, but you had Rae-Rae fly her back to the Tower's infirmary instead of one of us."

"Her physiology requires special attention, Raptor," Xander defended. "Fast healing isn't a Tamaranian power, either."

Suddenly, the green and purple battlesuit landed next to them.

"I'm sorry I had to withdraw," the battlesuited warrior apologized. "My suit's coolant system needed repairs, and a lucky shot with his heat vision would have set off the power supply and destroyed several blocks. I think I've managed to lock it down now."

"Don't worry about it. Thanks for the help," Xander said, extending a hand. "With the Justice League busy, we needed it."

"No problem," he said, pulling off helmet and tucking it under his arm.

Xander froze.

The man shook his hand and said, "It's the least I can do."

"Lex Luthor," Xander strangled out. "I, uh... didn't think someone of your... stature would throw himself in the line of fire like this."

"I see my reputation precedes me," the bald man smiled. "Believe me, Nighthawk, I've put all that behind me. Besides, in my... less admirable days, I learned a great deal about fighting Kryptonians."

"I'm sure you did," Xander murmured. Shaking it off, he gave Luthor a hearty slap on the back. "Well, I'm glad you were here. I don't know what we would've done without you."

"I'm just happy I could help," Lex said. "Now, it looks like things around here are under control, so I suppose I should be going before the press shows up." With that, he put his helmet back on and took off.

Xander watched dispassionately as Luthor flew away...

...and exploded.

Xander turned and looked at Raptor, who looked right back at him, "Well?"

"Was there a reason for that, Boss?"

"Yeah, there was."

"Good enough for me."

* * *

"Welcome back, boys," Abbey waved as the three missing Titans appeared in the ops center. It was just after sunset, and slayer healing had already made short work of most of her injuries.

"Good to be back," Robin waved back. "Did we miss anything?"

"Naw," she waved it off. "No big."

"You have an interesting definition of 'big.'"

Abbey stared.

Robin stared.

Pretty much everyone present stared.

"Superman?"

"I take it you handled everything?" Superman asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, we did," Raven nodded.

"Nice of ya to show up finally, though," Abbey retorted.

Superman looked around, "Could I speak to Nighthawk? I've been meaning to talk to him."

"He's in his room," Raven replied.

"Thanks."

* * *

Xander slumped in the chair. He hadn't even bothered to change out of his costume, settling for just doffing the mask. He hadn't felt this exhausted since he'd come to this world. In his hand, he held a bottle of whiskey.

"To a man with so much potential..." he murmured, "...and yet, none at all." He swung the whiskey bottle, swirling its contents and clinking it against an imaginary glass.

"If only your turnabout were genuine..." he sighed, "but the world is a safer place without you in it. Rest in peace, Luthor." He took a long pull from the bottle. "Lots of pieces."

"So, that's what happened."

"Hello, Superman," Xander said softly. "So, the Justice League finally sent someone, huh? Sorry, but you're a little late."

"You're hurt."

"Hence the anesthetic," Xander smiled, tapping the bottle in his hands.

"Do you really need to drink like this?" Superman asked, noting that he had already drained half the bottle.

"Y'know, I 'preciate the way you're avoiding the whole 'I killed someone today' thing," Xander said bluntly. "But, yeah. Tonight, I do. 'Cause today, I had to put a kryptonite bullet in your brain, boy scout."

"What?"

"Sorry," Xander waved it off. "Alternate evil Nazi you. No way to keep him down, so I shot him while he was still on his knees. Couldn't even look 'im in the eye. Heat vision, y'know."

"And Luthor?"

"Luthor's an obsessed man, Superman," Xander said, his voice suddenly very sober. "His world revolves around you: fighting you, beating you, killing you, destroying everything you value and your place in history. Remember the Justice Lords? His entire reform is designed to break you, Superman, to turn you -- or at least everyone's perception of you -- into that. To ruin you and pervert everything you stand for. Just like Darkseid tried to when he brainwashed you."

Superman bristled.

Xander rose and walked over to the window, "Y'know, you may be the most powerful single being on the planet, but... I'm not afraid of you, Superman. That's why I'm telling you this. Of Batman? Yes. Of you? No."

"Why not?"

"Because Batman is far more dangerous," Xander looked back at the Kryptonian and smiled, "but then, you knew that." He turned back to the window, "But also, he -- and I, for that matter -- will cross lines you wouldn't touch. Besides, Clark, even you can't be on guard twenty-four-seven. If the need arises... not even you would see or hear it coming."

Superman frowned, then nodded very slowly, "Good. I hope the need never arises."

"Again, you mean."

Superman flinched.

Xander sighed, "I know what Darkseid did isn't your fault, and neither is what this Der Ubermensch guy did. But if it can happen once, it can happen again. There are a lot of worlds out there, Superman, and while you always came through in the comics back home... this isn't a comic book."

"I know that," Superman growled in annoyance.

"I know you do," Xander's head and voice both dropped low. "But a part of me doesn't. A part of me's still the little kid sneaking comic books into his bedroom and reading them by flashlight. That part of me is desperate to believe in you, believe that even if you make a mistake, it'll all turn out okay in the end. I can't afford that."

"I see."

Xander looked over his shoulder at his guest, "This is a world of dreams, Superman, where the bad guys never win, and the good guys never have to kill. You, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash, the League, all of you. You were my heroes when I was growing up. For all the vampires and demons I've killed, all the apocalypses I've stopped, and all the lives I've saved, I still believed in you. And now... now, I can't risk that anymore. What happened to Luthor had to happen. Because there's a difference between what's right and what's necessary."

"So, a crisis of faith?"

Xander snickered.

"What?"

"Sorry. Private joke."

* * *

It was nearing midnight when the intruder alarm went off.

"Who's there?" Robin demanded, birdarang raised.

The intruder froze, then turned and stepped out of the shadows.

"Uh... hi, guys."

Beast Boy and Starfire reacted simultaneously.

"Terra!"

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Whew! That was... wow.


	38. 15: Terra Forming 0

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 15: Terra Forming (0 of ?) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Betrayal for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: With the arrival of a new Titan and the return of an old enemy, trouble arises.

Author's Note: Another episode, another plot arc.

* * *

Xander turned the mask over in his hands. It was hard to believe its owner was really dead.

_Or is he?_ he wondered, eyes narrowing as his thoughts drifted back to the newest Titan.

He'd turned it over in his mind repeatedly, much like he had the mask, but no matter how he looked at it, the conclusion was the same. It didn't matter whether it was the comics or the cartoon.

At least one thing was certain, as much as he hated it. If Slade was alive, then...

"He's gone, you know."

"Don't be so sure of that."

"I know how you feel," Dick said, walking up to stand next to him, "but you killed him. We found the body. Well, parts of it. He's dead."

"Maybe," Xander acknowledged, "but if there's one thing I've learned in life, Dick, it's this: Nobody ever stays dead. Nobody." He paused, and his voice dropped, "Well... almost nobody."

Life wasn't fair, and he knew that, but it made him sick when he considered the reason he came down here: Lex Luthor. The man was dead, blown to pieces in mid-air, and yet, not a day later, Lex Luthor Junior was there, making his first public appearance and hoping to "make up for the sins of the father." Xander had no doubts on what was going on: Lex now had a Get-Out-of-Jail-and-Public-Disgrace-Free card, courtesy of the friendly neighborhood cloning facility.

"Besides," Xander tossed Slade's mask back in the box and turned to leave, "the body parts were never positively identified. He could still be out there."

Dick watched him leave, deep in thought. It looked like he wasn't the only one to come to that conclusion.

"Xander!" Dick called.

Xander turned, "Yeah?"

"I came down here to tell you, you handled things pretty well while I was at that Tournament of Heroes. I'd like to make you second in command, if you want the job."

There was a long pause before Xander shrugged and nodded, "Might as well."

"'Might as well'?"

"I've been in command before, Dick, and as second banana more times than I want to think about. It's not new." He turned and continued on his way, adding bitterly, "I've always been the back-up guy."

_What the hell was that about?_ Dick wondered.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Here we go again.


	39. 15: Terra Forming 1

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 15: Terra Forming (1/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Betrayal for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: With the arrival of a new Titan and the return of an old enemy, trouble arises.

Author's Note: For those of you who were waiting for the Terra arc, here it is.

* * *

The birdarang smashed the robot's head.

"Tell your new boss that we have a message for him," Robin said coolly.

"Eat dirt!" Terra called, sending a barrage of rocks at the robots robbing the complex.

"New boss, Robin?" came an eerily familiar voice.

Robin stared, "Slade."

"No way!" Beast Boy shook his head.

"It cannot be," murmured Starfire.

Cyborg was a bit more vocal: "Nighthawk blew you to bits!"

"So," Xander's eyes narrowed, "you aren't dead after all. Why am I not surprised?"

"Perhaps because you're so much more... perceptive than your companions?" Slade suggested.

"Drop dead!" Terra snarled, hurling a stream of rocks and boulders at Slade... which passed right through him.

"A hologram," Xander snorted. "Figures. You chicken?"

"Tut tut," the Slade hologram tutted. "You should know better than to try such simplistic tactics against me."

"Sometimes, simple works," Xander replied. "I think I proved that last time?"

"Did you, Nighthawk?"

Xander snorted again, "Starting the lecture early, huh? Tryin' to bore me to death with mind games? Please." He drew his Colt and opened fire on the robots as the other Titans went into action.

Terra stood on a boulder and hovered nearby. Robin hopped on quickly, but Nighthawk waved her on as he dove for cover and reloaded. Shrugging, she accepted his decision and willed forward the boulder she and Robin rode until, at an unspoken signal, he jumped off while she directed the boulder to smash into another robot.

Three robots opened fire on Starfire as she approached, but she easily evaded them and returned fire. Below, Cyborg followed suit with his sonic cannon.

Raptor charged headlong into the thickest knot of robots, trashing them left and right and generally exulting in being able to really let loose and Slay-with-a-capital-S.

Raven was using tactics similar to Terra's, hurling rocks and boulders left, right, and center, but unlike Terra, she struck with precision, carefully sending each rock or boulder into her intended target.

Terra formed a temporary shield of earth and ripped up a new platform to ride on, but a rocket-booted robot caused her to lose her footing... literally. It blasted the boulder out from under her and sent her tumbling to the ground. The robots closed in on her...

...and promptly found themselves getting smashed apart by a green gorilla. After beating back the threat, Beast Boy picked up Terra and reverted to his human form.

"You saved me," she smiled.

Beast Boy blushed, "Yeah. That was cool."

"Uh, Beast Boy? You can put me down now."

He yelped and did so, then backed up, muttering, "Right. I was just, uh..."

Something detonated.

"Avalanche!" Robin called. "Take cover!"

Terra held up her hands and called, "I got it!" Her powers flung the falling rubble aside, well clear of the Titans. Suddenly, black energy extended and formed a barrier over the area until the earth had settled.

Stillness reigned. They looked around. Slade's robots were gone.

Terra whirled on Raven angrily, "I said 'I got it!'"

Raven opened her mouth to shoot back a scathing remark, but before she could speak, Nighthawk stepped in, cutting his arm down between them and glaring at Terra, "This is no place for showboating. There's more at stake here than your need to prove yourself."

"What?" she stepped back in surprise. "That's not what I..."

But he was already walking away.

"That jerk!" Beast Boy snarled, angrily stomping after him.

"He's right," Raven said, stepping in front of him. "There was no reason for me not to help."

"Maybe," Beast Boy allowed. "But he could've been nicer about it," he insisted.

"He's got more on his mind," Robin watched as Nighthawk knelt down and began poking at one of the robots. "I don't think he really blames you, Terra."

_After all,_ he thought, _it was one of your bullets that set off the explosion, Xander._

* * *

"And the last slice of pizza goes to..." Cyborg spun it, and when it stopped, he finished, "...Terra!"

"All right!" Robin said.

"Whoooo!" Beast Boy cheered.

"You are the winner!" Starfire grinned.

"Congratulations," Raven added unenthusiastically.

"Damn," Abbey muttered.

"Just a rookie, and already you're an MVP holding the coveted Four-Cheese Trophy," Cyborg played it up. "Terra, the world wants to know. How does it feel?"

"Um... good... and kinda greasy," she replied uncertainly.

"Seriously, Terra, great job tonight," Robin said. "We're glad to have you on the team."

"And we are most mirthful to claim you as our friend," Starfire threw in.

Abbey rolled her eyes, "But one of these days, I'm gonna teach you and Red how to really party."

"I think I'll turn in now," Raven turned and left.

Terra giggled at the green dog licking at her face, "Beast Boy..."

After a moment, she said, "Thanks, guys, really, for everything. But you shouldn't. I'm just trying to help out my friends, you know? No big deal." Her gaze swept toward the rest of the Tower, "Besides, not everyone seems to agree."

"Well, it's a big deal to us," Beast Boy said after returning to human form. "Good friends don't come along every day, you know? And don't worry about Nighthawk. He can be a real stick in the mud."

"Boss is used to reining in super-chicks like us," Abbey added. "He's just worried you'll take on more'n you can handle."

* * *

"Xander?"

Xander's head jerked up, "Rae! Um, hi."

She looked at the robot remains he was poring over and frowned, "Have you been here all evening?"

He glanced at it and shrugged, "What do you expect? Slade's back. That's bad news all by itself."

"But... um... isn't Robin better at this sort of thing than you? Besides, you need to rest. I may have healed you from the fight with Der Ubermensch, but it still takes a toll on your system."

He shrugged again, "I've got a few tricks up my sleeve. A few simple detection spells here and there." He glanced at the robot, "I'm getting a weird psychometry aura on it. Something human... but not."

"All right, but still, you missed pizza. You never miss pizza. If Robin can put this off for a few hours, why can't you? This is more than just Slade, isn't it?"

"It's because..." he trailed off.

"You don't want someone to know what you found."

He looked away.

"It's Terra, isn't it? You don't trust her."

"Neither do you," he shot back, looking back at her.

She shook her head, "I don't trust that she has as much control as she thinks she does. But with you... it's different. It goes deeper than that, doesn't it?"

"It's probably nothing, Rae," he sighed. "I've changed things so much, I can't trust what I know anymore."

"Like what?"

"Drawing Slade's attention, reaching out to Jinx, getting between Kori and Dick, things like that."

"I see," she frowned, a little hurt at being left out.

Wait. Starfire and Robin?

* * *

"Wanna go out?" Terra asked from the floating rock she stood on, outside Beast Boy's window.

"Huh?" he blinked in surprise. He stood up. "Yeah! I mean... uh... that's cool. But why didn't you just knock on my door?" he asked as he walked over.

She leaned down and held out a hand.

"Do you trust me?"

* * *

"Oh, man," Cyborg muttered as he made his way to the kitchen. "I knew I shouldn't have given up that last slice of pizza."

He opened the refrigerator and began searching out a midnight snack.

"Oh, well," he said, emerging from the fridge. "Nothing a foot-long ham-and-beef-jerky sandwich won't..."

He stared and looked around in horror.

"No..."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Dun dun DUN!


	40. 15: Terra Forming 2

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 15: Terra Forming (2/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Betrayal for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: With the arrival of a new Titan and the return of an old enemy, trouble arises.

Author's Note: Alas, quite a bit of this part comes straight from the episode.

* * *

"We'll just get the usual, Pam," Terra said.

"So, um, I'm guessing you've been here before," Beast Boy quipped.

"I've been everywhere before," she said, fiddling with her spoon. "I was quite the traveler before I became a Titan, remember?"

"Okay," he acknowledged. "What's the coolest place you've ever been?

Terra paused, staring at her spoon, to consider that for a long moment.

"Don't know," she said finally. "Probably Titans' Tower." She looked up at him and smiled, "But there's plenty of cool stuff out here. Who knows? If you're really nice to me, maybe I'll give you the tour."

It was at that moment that Pam returned with their order: pie a la mode.

"Dig in," Terra said, handing Beast Boy a spoon.

After his first bite, Beast Boy solemnly pronounced, "This... is the greatest pie... in the history... of pie."

"There's a place about two hundred miles outside of Gotham that bakes a mean cherry," Terra said, swiveling her stool around, "but for apple, this is the best there is."

* * *

"Beast Boy! Come in! Beast Boy, where are you? Answer me!" Robin yelled into his communicator as he huddled behind a piece of rubble. A laser blast scorched the edge of the rubble, and he made a break for it, diving through a hole blasted into the floor.

He made short work of the robots on the floor below, but as more arrived, he dashed off, until finally, he rejoined the others.

"He's not responding," Robin said.

Raven rose from the floor and added, "And Terra's not in her room."

"I miss vampires," Raptor grumbled. "At least they didn't come crashing into your home in the middle of the night."

"Somebody want to explain how two hundred armed robots got past my security?" Cyborg demanded angrily.

"I've got a few ideas," Nighthawk said grimly. He rose and charged out into the fray, calling back, "Hold the fort!"

Dodging like a madman -- something he'd had plenty of experience with -- he bolted for the elevator, taking out only the robots he absolutely had to. Reaching down to his belt as he approached the elevator, he extracted an explosive charge and hurled it at the elevator, blowing the doors open, and leaped, grabbing the cables.

He began to descend very quickly.

"Oh, shiiiiiiit!"

* * *

"This place is awesome!"

"Spent a lotta time here when I was on the road," Terra commented. "It's the closest thing I've ever had to a home."

"You mean, besides Titans' Tower."

"Yeah," she nodded. "So, you want to ride the bumper cars, or..." she trailed off as he sat next to her.

"Terra, is everything okay?" Beast Boy asked.

"Totally!" she assured him with a grin. "What makes you-?"

"'Cause I'm having fun," he said nervously. "A-and I really want you to have fun. But if you're not, you know, with me..."

Terra smacked his arm, "Beast Boy, you're my definition of fun. Come on," she added, getting up and grabbing his hand, "let's ride some rides."

* * *

Xander leaned forward, silently urging the N-Cycle to go faster and cursing himself.

I should have expected this, he thought. I should have done something. I just didn't think she'd move this quickly!

He swerved the bike into an intersection and took off, racing toward the abandoned amusement park. The other Titans were going to be okay, but he was worried about Beast Boy.

Terra hadn't had as much time to bond with him as she had in canon.

* * *

"He left?"

"Interesting. It seems he knows where to find his prodigal friends."

"I guess I'll have to deal with this personally."

* * *

"So, what made you change your mind?" Beast Boy asked.

"Excuse me?"

"About going out with me," he clarified. "It was the ears, wasn't it? Ladies love the pointy ears."

"Actually," she said after she finished laughing, "it was because... of all the things I could've done tonight, I realized all I really wanted to do was spend time with you."

"Lucky for me you didn't have other plans," Beast Boy grinned... then froze, as did Terra.

"Hello there," came an eerily familiar voice. "Remember me?"

* * *

Beast Boy's heart rose when he saw Nighthawk swerve the N-Cycle to a halt outside the amusement park.

"Dude!" he called, running out to greet him. "How'd you find us?"

"How'd you know we needed help?" Terra asked uncertainly. "Our comms are being jammed."

"What?" Xander blinked. "Jammed?"

_I guess Gar didn't drop his comm this time,_ he thought.

"The Tower's under attack," he answered. "Slade's robot commandos."

"Yeah? Well, Slade's here," Beast Boy retorted. "Somewhere," he added.

"I know," Xander said. He looked down and murmured, "Everything's playing out exactly as I remember it. I was hoping I was wrong."

"Wrong?" Beast Boy blinked. "About what?"

"Terra's working for Slade."

"What?" came in stereo.

"Think about it, BB," Xander said. "She's been with us barely a week, and somehow Slade's robots manage to get through the Tower's security. She just happens to be away from the Tower when they attack. Slade somehow knew just where to find you. Plus, like I said, my... special knowledge also tells me she is working for him."

"No!" he snarled, pulling her close and holding her protectively. "I don't believe it! Why take me out here too, huh?"

"Because she likes you," Xander said sardonically. "Believe me, I know how you feel. She probably took you out here to try and keep you safe, but Slade couldn't let that happen, could he, Terra? Tell me, Beast Boy, whose idea was it to leave the Tower tonight?"

"Mine!" he snapped. "I asked her out!"

"You asked her out, but did you ask her to go out with you tonight?"

Beast Boy froze and slowly turned to look at Terra. His arms fell limp, and he backed away slowly.

"Beast Boy..." she said desperately.

"No..." the green shapeshifter shook his head.

Terra whirled on Xander and swung to slap him, but he caught her wrist inches away from his face. She tried to slap him with the other hand, but he caught that one too.

"How could you?" she demanded. "I knew you didn't like me, but this!"

"Nothing else makes sense, Terra," Xander said sadly.

"An intriguing analysis, Nighthawk."

They all turned. Slade had arrived.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Sorry this one's a little short, folks, but damn it, that's just a perfect stopping point.


	41. 15: Terra Forming 3

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 15: Terra Forming (3/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Betrayal for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: With the arrival of a new Titan and the return of an old enemy, trouble arises.

Author's Note: ...aaand here we go!

* * *

"An intriguing analysis, Nighthawk."

Xander shoved Terra toward Beast Boy and yelled, "Watch her!"

He charged at Slade, pulling out and snapping his axe together. Slade blocked the first swing, catching the haft just below the axe head on his bracer. He twisted and grabbed the haft, yanking it -- and Xander -- toward him.

Slade's right hand caught Xander in a chokehold. "You'll have to do better than that, young soldier."

Xander shifted his weight and kicked Slade in the facemask, and much to his surprise, he actually connected. As Slade let go, Xander dropped down and swept his leg around toward Slade's ankles, but he somersaulted backwards, avoiding the leg sweep.

Rising to his feet, Xander rubbed his throat and taunted, "That better enough, old man?"

"You're learning."

"Or maybe you're just getting slow in your old age."

Twirling Xander's axe, Slade tilted his head and said, "Perhaps." He charged and swung. Xander sidestepped, grabbed the axe, and backhanded Slade in the face. Surprisingly, he connected again. Slade released the axe and stepped back.

"You're getting sloppy, old man," Xander sneered.

"On the contrary, Nighthawk," Slade replied, "it would seem our time apart has eroded my judgment of you. You've improved."

"Not by that much." Xander's eyes narrowed, "What's your game, Slade?"

"Do you honestly expect me to tell you, Nighthawk?"

Before he could reply, Slade rushed him, moving much faster than he had earlier. Punches and kicks slid through Xander's defenses like they weren't even there, almost as if Slade was using a style designed specifically to beat him.

Which, frankly, Xander was not about to discount, given who he was fighting.

Suddenly, Xander snapped his head back and fell back, narrowly avoiding a jab to the throat. Landing roughly on his back, he swept one of Slade's legs out from under him and kicked the other in the shin, knocking the retired mercenary off-balance.

Slade flung himself to the side, landing awkwardly on the ground next to Xander. Xander ignored the bruises forming on his body and rolled over, grabbing Slade and hammering him with all he had. Ignoring the blows, Slade staggered to his feet and suddenly overpowered Xander, shrugging out of the hold like it was nothing.

Xander backed away.

His opponent turned, "Is that all you've got, boy?"

Xander ignored the question.

"That's not Slade."

"Huh?" Beast Boy and Terra both stared at him.

"His moves are too flashy," Xander said. "Also, I'd never have been able to land that many hits on the real Slade. And Slade would never resort to brute force like that. Whoever this imposter is, he's been trained to fight me specifically."

"Very perceptive, Nighthawk," their opponent nodded in acknowledgement as Slade's likeness melted away. He grew larger and less humanoid as he reverted to his natural form, revealing his identity to be...

"Clayface," Xander snarled. "So that's how the robots got in. I should have known. This isn't your style, Hagen. Who are you working for?"

"I was told you'd know. I've got a message for you, kid: The offer still stands."

Xander tilted his head to the side as he considered that, "Well, that narrows it down a bit."

Clayface lunged, morphing his arm in a stream of whatever it was he's made of at Xander...

...which splattered against a rock wall that had emerged from the ground beneath them.

"Terra?" Xander blinked.

"Later," she said as the three Titans turned to face the threat. "My powers don't work on him."

"That's because he's not really made of mud," Xander explained, as he vaulted over the barrier Terra had created and hurled something at Clayface.

BOOM!

The small bomb barely blew Clayface open, and he sneered, "Didja really think that'd stop me, kid?"

"No," Xander admitted, "but I was sorta hoping it would hurt like a bitch."

Suddenly, spikes shot up from beneath Clayface, impaling him repeatedly. He slid unharmed around them and swung his head around, "Don't waste my time, girlie."

Terra was washed back in a spray of mud-like fluid. Clayface turned his attention back to Nighthawk, just in time to see him throw something at him, "Ya think that's gonna work this ti-?"

Beast Boy stared, "Uh, what was that?"

"Cryonic grenade," Xander said. "Picked it up in Gotham. Should buy us some time."

"So what's the plan?"

"Run."

* * *

"This plan isn't working!" Beast Boy yelled as they ran, with Clayface mere yards behind them.

"Got any better ideas?" Xander shot back. He unhooked his cape, slapped a detonator on the bundle at the end, and tossed it back. It struck Clayface in the chest and detonated.

"Don't you have some kind of solvent or something in that belt of yours?" Terra asked.

"Who do you think I am, Batman?"

"No," she replied, "but from what Robin says, you steal most of your stuff from him."

"Just one little EMP grenade, and he thinks I looted the Batcave," Xander grumbled.

"Well, there's that freeze bomb too."

"Shut up, BB," he growled. "I paid him back."

They paused as they neared the entrance to the amusement park, and Beast Boy looked back, "Did we lose him?"

"Never ask that," Xander groaned. "The answer's always 'no.'"

"You're pretty bright, kid," Clayface said, emerging from the ground them and the exit. He looked at Beast Boy and Terra and said, "You two leave if ya want. No one's payin' me to take you two out. Just him."

They hesitated for a long moment.

Beast Boy stepped forward, "No way." He charged and turned into a rhino.

"Your funeral, kid," Clayface said, forming his arms into a pair of large axes and raising them.

"NO!" Terra's eyes glowed as she touched the ground. A fissure ripped open beneath Clayface, and the former actor tumbled in. Moments later, the rift sealed together again, and Beast Boy charged over it, unharmed.

Beast Boy reverted to human form, and the three Titans looked at the cracked ground.

Beast Boy looked up in horror, "Terra. You..."

"He'll be back," Xander interrupted. "With what he's become, it'll take more than a little crushing to kill Clayface."

* * *

Xander hesitantly knocked on the door, unsure of what to expect from the occupant of the room beyond. Clean up of the Tower had taken several hours, and reconstruction would take days. They had given a brief explanation of how Clayface was posing as Slade to the Titans who had remained at the Tower and then left it at that.

Throughout it all, Xander's accusations had remained unspoken of, by either Terra, Gar, or Xander.

When the door opened, he tilted his head and asked, "Hello, Terra. Got a minute?"

"Uhh... sure."

She simply stood there, waiting.

He took a deep breath and organized his thoughts. "I came... to thank you. You saved my life."

"I didn't do it for you," she scowled. "I did it for Gar."

"I know," he looked down. "But you still saved me." Lifting his head and meeting her gaze, he said, "I also came... to apologize. About... the way I acted."

"You thought I was working for a guy I met once," she snapped. "A guy you killed."

"I know." He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment, "Forewarned isn't always forearmed, Terra. Everything I knew, it all..." He opened his eyes and met her gaze again, "You know what? Forget it. No excuses. I just... I'm sorry."

Terra's hard gaze burned into his eyes for a long moment. Finally, her eyes softened, "Apology accepted."

"Friends?"

"We'll work on it," she said coolly.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Xander turned to head back to his room.

"Just one thing," she called.

He stopped and turned, "Yeah?"

"Why didn't you kill me like you tried to kill Joker, if you really thought I was going to do all that?"

Silence reigned for a long moment.

"I'll kill in a fight," he said finally. "I'll kill those who deserve it and won't stop. But I won't kill someone before they've earned it just because I 'know' what they're gonna do."

"Why not?" she asked.

"There's a line between us and them," he spoke quietly. "It's not as thin as most people think, but it's thin enough to make it a difficult one to walk." He turned and continued on his way, "And someone has to walk it."

* * *

Suddenly, Nighthawk snapped his head back and fell back, narrowly avoiding a jab to the throat. Landing roughly on his back, he swept one of Slade's legs out from under him and kicked the other in the shin, knocking the retired mercenary off-balance.

Slade flung himself to the side, landing awkwardly on the ground next to Nighthawk. Nighthawk ignored the bruises forming on his body and rolled over, grabbing Slade and hammering him repeatedly. Ignoring the blows, Slade staggered to his feet and suddenly overpowered Nighthawk, shrugging out of the hold like it was nothing.

The image froze and rewound, then played again.

"Study him well, my daughter," the man reviewing the footage said. "There is much more to him than he reveals. He has... an old soul."

She bowed her head, "Yes, father."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

For those of you who had hoped Xander would keep Terra from going down the path she walked in canon... well, he kinda did. Blowing up the guy who would lead her down it certainly had an influence there.

But... man, oh, man, did he blow it this time.


	42. 16: Demons Without 0

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 16: Demons Without (0/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Betrayal for Teen Titans, though set roughly at the time of Fractured.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: And there came... a testing.

Author's Note: Here we go.

* * *

(Fourteen minutes ago.)

Nighthawk swung his sword in a wide arc that would have decapitated his opponent had he not ducked. Batman took a half-step forward and batted his arm out, sending Nighthawk's sword arm swinging over, too far to recover from.

Batman's blade sank into Nighthawk's armpit.

As he withdrew the blade, Nighthawk stumbled back and coughed. He spat, and to Batman's horror, blood dribbled from his lips.

"Good shot, Bruce," Nighthawk murmured... before he hit the ground.

* * *

(Two days ago.)

Xander prowled through the darkened corridors of Titans Tower. With a hiss, the door to Starfire's room slid open, and he stepped in.

The redheaded alien looked up, "Oh, hello, friend Xander! Wha-mmph!" Her words were cut off as he kissed her hard.

"Hush," he whispered, pulling her close and running his hands down her back. "Let's have some fun..."

Inside, he screamed.

* * *

She watched uncertainly as Nighthawk writhed under the influence of Dr. Crane's fear gas. "Is this truly necessary, father?"

"If his will can be broken this easily, then I have misjudged him. If he is truly worthy, then nothing less will bend him to my will."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Please note the time cues throughout the episode. I figured this is the best way to write this episode, given the sort of scenes I wanted.


	43. 16: Demons Without 1

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 16: Demons Without (1/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Betrayal for Teen Titans, though set roughly at the time of Fractured.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: And there came... a testing.

Author's Note: Dear readers, please understand that the previous chapter was intended to be short. It was not meant to be a full chapter, but merely the opening teaser for this episode. That said, let's get to the meat of the episode.

* * *

(Thirty-eight hours ago.)

Contrary to what many believe, Xander was not stupid, though he preferred his girls to think he was if it made them feel better. He was just a slacker. There was a difference.

He did, after all, still manage to graduate on time despite excessive not-studying and late night patrols while sharing classes with his mega-brain best bud, Willow.

So, by the time Vampire Jinx and Red Raven showed up to help him break Kori, he knew something was up. As much as his luck sucked, it didn't suck this badly.

"Y'always did see things better'n others."

Fear clutched Xander's heart, and as he seemed to regained control of his body, he turned to face the voice. It was Caleb.

"It can't be..." he muttered. His eyes narrowed, and he shook his head, "The First Evil."

"And look who else is here," the First turned and waved them on.

Xander choked as his heart took another blow. Willow and Buffy stepped into the light. Willow's hair was black, her face pale and veiny. Buffy was skeletally gaunt and pale, her face twisted into that of a vampire.

He closed his eyes, "So, what? Back to playing mind games, Doc Evil? This can't be real."

WHAM!

Xander flew from the blow, and he looked up at Caleb, who had struck the blow. The preacher picked him up and smiled, "Let's go for both this time, huh? No distractions."

Suddenly, the sound of full-automatic fire exploded in the room. A vicious snarl accompanied a blur that hit Caleb, knocking the preacher back, and Xander hit the floor.

He stared at the hyena savaging the preacher and the camouflage-clad soldier that stepped out, armed with an M-16. The soldier offered him a hand up, "You okay, El-Tee?"

Xander stared.

Darth Willow smiled cruelly at them and waved her hand, "You really think that toy can defeat us?"

At that, the soldier's M-16 became the toy prop Xander had bought from Ethan's.

"No, but I can."

Hovering outside the window was another Darth Willow.

The second Willow cocked an eyebrow, "Didn't you read the sign?" Her face went from playful -- good Willow-y playful, despite the black and veiny look -- to stern and uncompromising.

"NO TRESPASSING!" her voice boomed, shaking the building around them.

* * *

(Twenty-nine hours ago.)

Xander meditated.

_Oh, if Willow or Raven could see me now,_ he thought ironically. But there was really little else to do. The gauntlet of nightmares had left him shaken, and -- deprived of his normal sugary coping mechanism -- he was forced to adapt.

His stomach growled, reminding him that the last time he remembered having eaten was at least a day and a half ago, and with his utility belt confiscated, he had no food on him. The last thing he remembered before the nightmares was helping Robin deal with Johnny Rancid.

_A Twinkie! A Twinkie! Oh, my kingdom for a Twinkie!_ he thought forlornly. _Or a Ho-Ho! Hell, at this point, I'd settle for a glazed donut._

The door slid open, and he looked up.

"Y'know," he said conversationally, "for a guy who wants to get back to nature, you've got some pretty high-tech stuff here."

"I see your sense of humor remains undaunted, young soldier."

"What do you want, old man?" Xander asked, rising to his feet and looking Ra's al Ghul in the eyes.

The Demon's Head smiled and said, "I'd like to introduce to you my daughter, Talia."

Xander took a long look at Talia as she entered the room. His head swiveled to face Ra's, and he snorted, "You're kidding, right?"

Talia raised an eyebrow.

Closing his eyes and rubbing his temples, Xander said, "So, let me get this straight: You ambush me, kidnap me, and torture me with Scarecrow's fear gas... just to have me meet your daughter? Is this your sick way of setting up a date?" He looked at Ra's with a raised eyebrow, "I mean, I've heard of overprotective parents, but this is ridiculous."

Ubu stepped forward, "How dare you...!"

"Is that all you know how to say, big guy?" Xander asked, looking at Ubu.

"Silence, Ubu," Ra's held up a hand. The bodyguard complied.

"Yes, sit, Ubu, sit," Xander snarked. "Gooood dog."

Ubu's face reddened in suppressed anger.

"What you endured was merely a test, young soldier," Ra's said. "You passed."

"Golly gee whiz, Headmaster," Xander deadpanned. "Really? Did I get an A? My parents will never believe me!"

"How amusing," Ra's replied as his daughter's eyebrow rose again.

Xander sighed, "All right, seriously, what's so special about me? I bet you've got plenty of people smarter than me, plenty of better fighters, and I doubt any of them have any of the Bat's qualms about killing."

"You have a rare gift, young soldier. You never underestimate your opponent. Valuable enough in its own right, this gift is truly deadly in concert with your fighting style."

"'Fighting style'?" Xander blinked, genuinely confused. "What fighting style?" He looked at Talia, "I have a fighting style?"

Again, Talia raised an eyebrow.

"You convince yourself that the battle is already lost and throw everything you have into it," Ra's elaborated. "You hone your desperation into the finest weapon I have ever seen."

Xander stared at him for a long moment and finally said, "...man, the Bat was right. You are out of your mind."

Slap!

Xander rubbed his cheek and looked at Talia, "Thanks. I needed that." He turned to Ra's and added, "On the other hand, this looks promising. She hasn't tried to kill me yet, and I do seem to have uncanny luck with demons."

Ra's raised an eyebrow meaningfully.

"Well," Xander shrugged, "you're the Demon's Head, right?" He looked at Talia and made a show of regarding her figure, "I suppose she'd be the Demon's Legs?"

Talia's hand came up, and Xander caught her wrist in his right hand. All trace of humor vanished from his face and voice as he spoke: "You made two mistakes, old man."

"Have I?"

"Yeah," Xander nodded. "First, you thought the 'worst fear' gimmick would work. You have any idea how many real demons try that tactic?"

"And second?"

"You thought I kept all my dangerous stuff in my belt." The meaning sank in for perhaps half a second before Xander hurled the object held in his left hand at the wall near the door.

Ra's looked and noted for the first time since entering that his captive had pried open an electrical panel.

"Master!" Ubu bellowed and grabbed Ra's and pulled him out of the room as the C4 struck the exposed wiring.

Xander pulled Talia around and tackled her to the ground as the world came down around them.

* * *

(Nine hours ago.)

Robin was about ready to hit something.

Nighthawk had been missing for nearly two days already, and so far, they hadn't found anything but dead ends and red herrings. This was his last lead, and it had just dried up in a nameless back alley.

Suddenly, he froze and turned.

And scowled, "Batman, what brings you to Jump?"

"Ra's al Ghul."

"Not Nighthawk?" Robin blinked.

"No, why?" the Dark Knight frowned.

"Figured how he... acquired some of his gear might have annoyed you."

"No more than your first visit to the Batcave did."

"Yeah, well, good luck finding Ra's," Robin said, turning away. "We've got our own problems: Nighthawk's missing."

"Is he, now?"

Robin stopped and looked over his shoulder at his mentor, "You know something." A thought struck him, but after a moment, he shook his head, "No, what would Ra's want with Nighthawk?"

"That's what I intend to find out."

"Great," the Boy Wonder said, "maybe we can..." he trailed off when he realized he was talking to an empty alley, "...work together again. Or not."

* * *

(Twenty-seven hours, twenty-two minutes ago.)

Xander groaned as consciousness filtered back into his brain. He was on his back, resting on... hmm...

He opened his eyes and saw Talia leaning over him.

Which meant it had to be her lap he was in.

Huh.

"Well, that didn't go according to plan," he stated as he tried to sit up.

"Lie still," she said, holding him down. "You are injured."

"So what else is new?" he asked, rolling his eyes.

Wait a minute.

He stared, looked up at her, and raised an eyebrow meaningfully.

"Would you have preferred to bleed to death?" she replied.

Xander was grateful that certain stylistic elements of the Teen Titans cartoon hadn't translated over to his new home reality, or he very well might have bled to death anyway.

After all, he was in dangerously close proximity to Talia's... endowments... which were now concealed only by the darkness. Her shirt had gone to binding what felt like a nasty gash on his back.

He closed his eyes as an argument began in his mind.

_Bad thoughts. Bad thoughts!_

_Well, she is legal, and you've got her father's permission..._

_Shut up!_

Xander sat up and crawled over to the other end of the cramped space that remained of his underground cell.

"I'll be over here," he said wearily.

"Am I that undesirable?" she asked quietly.

"I refuse to answer that on the grounds that if I do, no matter what I say, I'm screwed," he replied. "One way or another."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Poor guy. It's only gonna get worse.


	44. 16: Demons Without 2

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 16: Demons Without (2/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, and sexual content.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Betrayal for Teen Titans, though set roughly at the time of Fractured.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: And there came... a testing.

Author's Note: WARNING! This part contains sexual content. It's the reason this story's rating on has been changed from T to M.

* * *

(Fourteen minutes ago.)

Talia watched as her beloved battled with her... with Alexander. She felt... conflicted about the battle. That neither was likely to actually kill the other brought a sense of relief she found puzzling.

Her eyes widened as Alexander made his first serious mistake. He brought his sword around in a wide arc that would have taken her beloved's head off... had he been a careless fool. She watched in growing horror as Bruce darted forward and knocked Alexander's arm aside and struck.

His blade sank into Alexander's armpit.

She noted the blood dribbling from Alexander's lips, and a cold feeling sank into her gut. A wound like that could only cause bleeding from the mouth through severe internal injuries.

"Good shot, Bruce," Alexander murmured... before he hit the ground.

Talia gasped and took a half-step forward before she remembered herself. She was the daughter of Ra's al Ghul. Whatever her feelings, she could not allow herself to favor either.

* * *

(Seventeen hours ago.)

Talia had been rather... insistent that Xander not risk aggravating his injury by trying to dig a way out. Which left them sitting there, waiting for her father's men to dig them out.

That annoyed him.

It did occur to him that, ten years ago, he would've given just about anything to be in his current situation. Alone, with a scantily-clad and most definitely beautiful woman, nothing in the way of...

Except, that is, for his conscience. And the fear of what tortures Batman could come up with if so inspired.

The inactivity was aggravating, until finally, he gew restless enough to break the silence.

"I find it ironic that your father considers me worthy of being his successor," he said. "Especially considering the last candidate. Batman and I couldn't be more different."

Talia started and looked over at him, "Why do you say that?"

Xander shrugged, "He was a rich kid who loved his parents, lost them, and dedicated his life to them. He pushes people away, tries to keep from getting too close to anyone."

"And you?" she asked curiously.

"I'm a poor boy whose so-called parents tried to sell him to some Armenians. My parents are, last I checked, still alive, but frankly, I couldn't care less about them. I like making friends, and it's them that I dedicate my life to."

Silence returned for a long moment.

"You are wrong."

Xander blinked at looked at her, "Huh?"

"You and my beloved could be much more different," she said, leaning over toward him and stroking his cheek gently. "One of you could... not care."

Xander would have skittered away had his back not been already against the wall. His eyes darted left, right, up, and down, trying to find something -- anything -- to distract him from the charged moment.

His gaze finally settled on her arm.

"Huh."

"What?"

"Your arm," he said. "That's a vaccine scar. I didn't think your father put much trust in modern medicine."

Talia looked at her arm, then looked back up at him, "I have long since learned not to question my father's wisdom."

"Maybe you should learn to start."

"I shall remember that... future husband."

"Not exactly enthusiastic about the idea, I see," Xander noted. He felt vaguely insulted, but that was nothing compared the relief at having something to reinforce his failing control of his libido.

"It is my father's will."

"Doesn't mean a damned thing," he snorted. "My father's will would have probably killed me by now. I made my own path. You ought to try it some time. Go back to Gotham and snag Bruce before Selina gets her claws in him."

Talia snarled.

"Yipe."

"Do not mention that... that..." she trailed off into a twenty-second string of invectives in Arabic, of which Xander caught maybe four or five words, "...to me, husband. My beloved will never have her."

"He is still your beloved."

"Yes, so?"

"Nothing much," he replied with a shrug. "Just that, despite what your father says, you still love him."

"What of it?" Talia asked. She added mockingly, "You wish to tell me that love conquers all, perhaps?"

"Hell, no," he snorted again. "I've seen love go to hell -- sometimes literally -- way too many times to think that. Just look at my situation. But love deserves a chance, Talia. I suggest you give it one."

He leaned back and closed his eyes.

Out of sight, out of mind.

* * *

(Six hours, thirteen minutes ago.)

The very first scouting units of consciousness began to edge their way into Xander's mind, preparing for a cautious invasion in an effort to rout out sleep. He resisted. He was having a wonderful dream, involving Anya, whipped cream, and cherries.

The dream shifted a little, but he didn't mind. As he caressed her breast with one hand and teased her nipple, his other roamed further south, eliciting a moan from his ex-fiancee. He moved down to nuzzle her neck and, to his surprise, found some long hair in the way.

Long, dark hair.

Cordy? Well, he could go with this too.

He shifted a little and nibbled on her ear. After a moment, he began kissing down the side of her face, while one hand shifted to the other breast and the other slipped a finger in. He heard her gasp and withdrew slightly.

He didn't want to go too fast, after all.

Xander began lazily tracing circles across her belly with a feather-light touch, teasing her as he brought his other hand up to taste her.

She whimpered a complaint and muttered something in... Arabic?

_Oh, hell!_ he thought as consciousness suddenly launched a full-scale invasion, routing sleep from his mind in a sudden panic.

He tried to extricate himself from her even as he licked his finger clean. _Mmm, nice,_ he thought absently, savoring the taste even as he flopped on his back, his other arm pinned under her.

Talia squirmed and rolled over to face him. Blinking her eyes open, she smiled faintly, "Did you sleep well, husband?"

Xander nodded wordlessly, then asked, "You?"

"Very," she said, her expression going distant. "Though I feel strangely unfulfilled," she added with a frown.

"Really?" he asked, his voice three octaves higher than normal. He coughed and said, "I mean, that's too bad."

She gave him a puzzled look. Before she could inquire further, they heard voices, and light spilled into the room. Ra's al Ghul's rescue party had arrived.

* * *

(One hour ago, eight minutes ago.)

Batman slipped into the complex. That he was walking into a trap was painfully obvious. Anyone else might have been fooled. The clues, the leads, each was difficult to follow, would have eluded almost anyone.

But Batman was not just anyone. And Ra's al Ghul knew it.

He entered a large circular chamber, and as he crept around the edges, the door slid shut behind him, and lights flashed on. The room was built like a small arena, with an upper level about ten feet up.

"Ra's," he said, his gaze fixing on mastermind and his ever-present bodyguard. Batman felt his heart tighten. Talia stood beside them.

"Hello, detective," the near-immortal greeted him. "What brings you here?"

"You tell me," Batman said, stepping forward aggressively.

"I have no time for games, detective."

"Make time."

Ra's arched an eyebrow in amusement, "If I could, I would hardly have needed to decide between you and the young soldier, detective."

"You lured me here," Batman pointed out.

Ra's smiled, "For a test, detective. You and our visitor from another world are both worthy. One of you will wed my daughter and carry on my work. The other... will die. Your utility belt, please, detective."

Batman raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, yes," Ra's nodded. "Motivation." He snapped his fingers, and a door opened on the audience level. Four lower members of the Society of Shadows emerged, two of them clutching a fifth person between them.

"Robin!"

"Your utility belt, detective."

Grudgingly, the Dark Knight unbuckled the belt and threw it at Ra's, where it was caught by Ubu. He heard a door open behind him, and he turned. Propelled by a pair of strong men, Nighthawk stumbled into the arena. The door closed behind him.

He looked up, "Batman? What are you doing here?"

Batman smirked, "I didn't need another lecture about my trash and your city."

"Gee, thanks," Nighthawk deadpanned. "And here I thought you were here to rescue me."

"Some rescue this would be."

"True."

"Gentlemen, please, enough with the banter," Ra's spoke, a hint of both annoyance and amusement in his voice. "Ubu?"

The loyal bodyguard bent down and picked up two sheathed swords, throwing one to each end of the arena.

"Only one of you will walk out of this room," Ra's said. "Which one is up to you."

"What is this, the Thunderdome?" Nighthawk muttered under his breath.

"In precisely two hours," Ra's continued, "the floor and walls will be electrified, and young Robin here will join you there."

"Aw, c'mon! A sword duel?" Nighthawk sputtered. "Couldn't I at least get an axe?"

"And give you an unfair advantage?" Ra's asked mildly.

"Of course!" Nighthawk retorted. "I might actually have a chance then."

"So you agree to marry my daughter?"

"Uh. Um. Uh," Nighthawk stammered, caught off-guard. "Now, hold on a minute there..."

"You might not have that minute, young soldier. I suggest you arm yourself."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Well, that was an interesting part, wasn't it?


	45. 16: Demons Without 3

800 247 4747 

Tracking No: 850257375166

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 16: Demons Without (3/3)

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Betrayal for Teen Titans, though set roughly at the time of Fractured.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: And there came... a testing.

Author's Note: And now for the exciting conclusion!

* * *

(Sixteen minutes ago.)

Clang!

The two swords locked again, and Xander whispered, "Okay, Bruce, is it just me, or is something not kosher here?"

"I noticed. This is a distraction. Ra's wouldn't care about our relative sword skills, and he knows we wouldn't really kill each other."

"But what would he be distracting us from?" Xander wondered aloud. "Only thing he wants more than you is..." His eyes widened in realization as he remembered what he saw while he was trapped with Talia.

"What?"

"Hold on," Xander said, pushing back and then launching into another series of blows until Batman parried, locking the blades together again. "Talia. She has a vaccine scar. What's that tell you?"

"A plague," Batman scowled.

"We need a plan," Xander said. "And soon. He's probably planning on having it done by the time our time limit's up."

They clashed for another minute before they had one.

"Run me through."

"What?" Batman's eyes widened in surprise.

"Do it!" he hissed. "I'm not good enough to do it to you without killing you, and we'll need time without an audience if we're going to stop him. Besides, I'm already wounded, and there's a quick spell I can use."

It was amazing how useful it was to be able to convincingly fake death back in Africa when they needed to find a demon's hideaway.

They spun away from each other again, and after a long moment during which he muttered the incantation, Xander charged, swinging his sword in a wide arc aimed for Batman's neck. The Dark Knight ducked beneath the sweep of the blade and took a half-step forward. He brought his arm out and batted Xander's sword arm aside until it was too far to recover from.

Exactly as Xander had expected, but he had little time to congratulate himself on a smoothly run plan as pain shot through his body. He stumbled back and coughed, taking the opportunity to bite his lip hard.

He spat and looked up.

"Good shot, Bruce," was all he managed to say before the spell took hold.

* * *

(Now.)

Xander gasped as the spell ended. He bit back a shriek of pain as he felt the stab wound under his arm make itself known. He began to take stock of his situation, but kept his eyes closed. With luck, whoever was around hadn't heard him gasp, and he'd be able to get the jump on them.

He felt a hand gently caressing his cheek and something wet fall on his face. The hand brushed whatever it was off, and he made his move. He grabbed the wrist and rolled over, bowling whoever it was over until he straddled...

"Talia?" he blinked in surprise.

She stared at him, "Husband? You... how?"

"A spell," he said, standing up. He looked around as he helped her up, "That's a Lazarus Pit, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"So, the old man still hasn't decided, huh? That why he had you bring me down here?"

"My father did not send me to revive you."

Xander blinked as he considered that, "Okayyy... so why did you bring me down here, then?"

"I brought you here to save your life."

"Yeah, I get that," he said, "but why?"

"Because you saved mine," she answered. "A life for a life."

"Fair enough," he said with a nod. "You know I'm going to stop your father. Am I going to have to fight you first?"

Talia considered for a long moment and stepped aside. "Your life was in no danger. Go, and consider the debt paid."

"Thank you," he said, pulling her into a brief hug and kissing her on the forehead. "Think about what I told you before," he added before he turned and left, missing the stunned look on her face as she watched him go.

_Why did I do that?_ he wondered a moment later.

* * *

It didn't take him long to find Batman. The Dark Knight had, predictably enough, already escaped wherever they had stashed him and knocked out a dozen of Ra's's goons.

"What took you?"

"You sound like you're bored," Xander said. "If you want, I can leave, and you can finish up on your own."

"No, thanks."

Chuckling, Xander dropped to one knee among the fallen guards and swiftly stripped two of them of their weapons.

"I don't use guns."

"That's nice," Xander said. "But these are for me."

"Why do you use them?"

"Because not all problems can be solved by putting someone away, and not everyone has had the advantage of the best teachers in the world," Xander said as he rose. "Can we go now?"

Batman nodded, and they began moving. After a moment, Batman spoke up again, "You'll never be accepted if you kill them."

"I don't care if I'm accepted," Xander said. "I'm not doing this for me; I never did, back home or here. I'm doing it to make sure the normal people of the world can sleep soundly at night without having to worry about the monsters out there... human or otherwise."

"This path won't end well for you."

"I don't care about me."

"Maybe not, but there are those who do."

Xander stopped and glared, "And they understand that this is who I am. I don't care if you understand or not; just lay off."

"All right, fine," Batman held up a hand placatingly. "But we're not finished with this."

"Yes. We are," Xander stalked off. "I'm taking point."

* * *

Robin looked up as the sound of combat erupted outside his cell. The fight ended with a resounding thud as something -- or, more likely, someone -- slammed against the cell door. The door opened.

"Batman!" he said, rising to his feet. "Nighthawk? I thought you were dead!"

"I got better," Xander deadpanned. At Robin's arched eyebrow, he said, "Actually, that was the plan. Did Ra's get any of the other Titans?"

Robin shook his head, "I don't think so. What's going on?"

"Near as we can figure," Xander explained as they made their way down the hall, "Ra's al Ghul's planning on releasing a plague to trim the human population. Just a hunch, but I'm betting on small pox."

"What makes you say that?"

Xander shrugged, "He's got grand designs, but he's essentially an eco-terrorist. Small pox is the only thing out there that's truly human-specific. Once it wipes out most of humanity, it'll kill itself off."

"You're basing your conclusion on that?"

"Well, that, and the vaccine scar on Talia's..." Xander trailed off as he remembered what else he'd seen of Talia.

"Her what?" Batman growled.

"Her arm," Xander replied, shaking off the distraction. "Down, boy," he said, flashing Batman a grin.

_Note to self,_ Batman thought. _He must never meet Wally._

* * *

It wasn't long before they found themselves up top. Xander looked around the grassy plain that surrounded the private airfield, then hissed in pain.

"Are you okay?" Robin asked.

"I'm fine," he snapped. "Batman, is the Batplane here?"

"Over there," the older man pointed off in one direction. Xander couldn't see it -- it was well-hidden -- but he trusted him.

"Robin, you can fly it, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Take off," Xander said, then pointed at a large airplane taxiing to take-off position, "follow that plane. If it gets too close to a city, take it out."

"What are you two going to do?"

"We've got a plane to catch," Batman replied as they started running.

* * *

Xander grunted as he clambered into the plane after Batman had gotten the rear hatch partly open. Rolling onto his back, he raised the two pistols he'd liberated from the guards and opened fire. The Society of Shadows minions tumbled to the floor even as the slides locked.

Picking himself up, he slumped against a wall to catch his breath.

"You're hurt."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious!" Xander glowered. "You're the one that stuck a foot of steel in my side, remember?"

"But I thought you had a spell..." Batman trailed off with a frown.

"The spell was to feign death," Xander said. "Healing? Not so easy."

* * *

Batman found himself crossing swords with Ra's al Ghul once again.

Nighthawk was squaring off against Ubu, and though the large eunuch had yet to lay a finger on him, a part of Bruce's mind noted that he was weakening, the accumulation of injuries and fatigue weighing him down. Ubu's gleeful expression indicated he was aware of that too.

But he had no time to lend his assistance. Ra's had quickly recovered his composure upon seeing Nighthawk alive, and Bruce had to focus entirely on keeping himself alive. Talia, it appeared, remained in the cockpit, content to fly the plane.

"No!" the voice interrupted the flow of the battle, and both Ra's and Batman turned.

"Talia..." Ra's spoke reprovingly. His daughter stood between Ubu and Nighthawk, who lay on the floor, breathing hard... utterly defenseless.

She turned to face him, "He saved my life, father. I will not let you end his."

"I see," Ra's's eyes flicked from his daughter to the young man she protected to Bruce, then back to his daughter.

"Game over, Ra's," Nighthawk spoke up. "Even if we don't stop you, this plane's going to be shot down before it reaches a population center."

Ra's smiled, "Very well. It appears victory is yours, young soldier." His face twisted into a glower, "But it will be not an easy one." He turned, drew a dagger from his belt, and hurled it into the cockpit. Electricity sparked, and Ra's turned toward another door, "Ubu, Talia."

Bruce took a step toward him. Ra's didn't even bother turn around, "You have your friend to tend to, detective, along with the virus. Consider your priorities carefully."

* * *

Xander lay in the infirmary. In addition to the stab wound under his arm and the gash on his back (Talia's improvised bandaging of which drew a raised eyebrow from Robin; thankfully, none of the girls had seen it), he'd collected a mess of bruises from Ubu and added even more from the rather rough landing he and Batman had via the Bat-Glider, as Ra's, Talia, and Ubu had taken the escape pod, and there were no parachutes on board. He smirked as he remembered the look on Batman's face when he'd asked him: "And you knew you'd need your Bat-Glider... how?"

"Xander?" came a voice from the door.

He craned his neck over. "What's up, Dick?" he asked, in his best Bugs Bunny impression.

Dick ignored the joke, "I talked to Batman."

"I thought you didn't like him."

"We've had our differences," Dick acknowledged, "but he thought it was important, and I agree."

"What?"

"What's this about you not caring about yourself?"

Xander snorted. That's what this was all about? "Dick, back home, the average slayer had a life expectancy of about a year once they were Called. Two on the outside. I've been at it for ten before coming here. I'm already on borrowed time."

"Kinda pessimistic."

"It's the truth," he shrugged. "It's not the sort of business you make retirement plans for, you know. I've beaten the odds so far... but I don't have Bruce's luck or skill."

"Bruce?" Dick blinked, confused. "What...?"

"Never mind," Xander said, waving it off. "Get outta here. I need sleep."

Dick nodded and left. Five minutes later, the door opened again, but this time, he did not stir.

All through the night, two chairs in the infirmary would remain occupied.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Whew! That took a bit of work. Yes, that "something wet" that fell on Xander's face was a tear.

And here, I present to you a scene that didn't make it into the 'fic for various reasons but was too funny to not share.

* * *

Omake:

Talia considered for a long moment and stepped aside. "Your life was in no danger. Go, and consider the debt paid."

"Thank you," he said, pulling her into a brief hug and kissing her on the forehead. Just as he was about to pull away, she grabbed him and pulled his head down into a fierce kiss.

Xander froze for a moment as he felt her lips press against his and her tongue dart into his mouth. After that moment, however, reflex took over, and he returned the kiss. She moaned in response.

After a long moment, she pulled back and whispered, "Take care, husband."

He nodded, struggling to find his voice. "Think about what I told you before," he said before he disengaged himself from her arms.

She nodded back wordlessly.

_I am sooo dead,_ he thought as he turned and left.

Talia, however, had a different thought on her mind: _What was that he did with his tongue?_ She reached up and gently touched her lips as she considered that.

_Father is right. He is much older than he looks._


	46. 17: The Weird West 0

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 17: The Weird West (0/2) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and season two for Teen Titans, as well as season one of JLU.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Three of our heroes follow a time-traveling thief back in time and team up with the greatest heroes of the Old West.

Author's Note: I want to warn everyone. A lot of this episode is really just a rehash of canon, with the obvious twists.

* * *

"You worthless, good for nothing, wretched waste of space!" Enid Clinton roared. "You invent a time machine and can't think of anything useful to do with it?"

"I can think of one thing," her husband, David, pulled the hood of his chronosuit over his head. "I can use it to get away from you!" He opened a time tunnel and dove through.

* * *

Beast Boy rose from the breakfast table he shared with Robin and Terra. "I'm gonna head outside," he said.

Terra watched and frowned as the door opened just before Beast Boy reached it. Nighthawk entered, and as they passed each other, she could see Beast Boy glaring at Nighthawk.

"He still holds a grudge," she murmured, shaking her head and turning back to her food.

"A grudge?" Robin asked. "About what?"

She started and shook her head, "Oh, nothing."

"What about you, Terra?" came Nighthawk's voice from behind her. He walked around the table and sat across from her. "You still holding a grudge?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it. Looking down, she shook her head, "Not really, no. I realize why you thought what you did, and I can't blame you."

"Would either of you like to tell me just what the heck you're talking about?" Robin asked.

They looked at him, then looked at each other for a long moment, then looked back at him. "No," they said in unison.

Robin scowled.

An alarm sounded, and they all looked up.

"Someone's in the Tower!" Robin said. The three of them rose and bolted.

* * *

"They're in my room," Xander glowered darkly. "Oh, they are so dead."

His thoughts derailed when they opened the door. He stared in recognition. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not to the Titans.

"Chronos?"

The man panicked, dropping Xander's gun and backing up against the wall, "You weren't supposed to see me. S-stay away! N-no one's supposed to know I was here!" He fiddled with his belt and backed into the portal that formed.

"After him!" Robin ordered, and the three followed. Xander used his grappling line to keep them together.

After they emerged into what looked like a desert, Xander looked at each of them, "You two okay?"

They nodded. Robin looked around, "Where are we?"

"More like when," Xander said, pointing at the trio of men astride horses. "You remember Warp, right?"

Robin groaned. "Why doesn't this sort of stuff happen to the Justice League?"

"I'd love an answer to that one myself," Xander grumbled.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

How's that for a surprise, folks?


	47. 17: The Weird West 1

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 17: The Weird West (1/2) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and season two for Teen Titans, as well as season one of JLU.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Three of our heroes follow a time-traveling thief back in time and team up with the greatest heroes of the Old West.

Author's Note: I want to warn everyone. A lot of this episode is really just a rehash of canon, with the obvious twists.

* * *

The three ruffians had quickly made their intentions clear.

They didn't last much longer than that.

"Elkhorn, Oklahoma," Xander sighed as everything occurred as he expected. "Tobias Manning's turf." He held out the newspaper he'd found in one of the saddlebags and pointed at the date. "Eighteen seventy-nine."

"You know what's going on here, don't you?" Robin asked.

"Maybe," he shrugged. "Let's just stick to the script for now. I suggest we borrow these fine gentlemen's clothing for the duration. We kinda stand out like this in case you hadn't noticed."

Changing didn't take long, and with Terra's powers, not even privacy was an issue. Xander holstered the revolver and looked over at Dick. He looked back at the two remaining guns. He looked back at Dick, who looked back at him.

"I'm not even gonna bother asking," Xander said, shaking his head and grabbing the other two guns. He held one out to Terra, who hesitantly accepted the firearm and slid into her holster. She gave him a faint smile that puzzled him, but he shook it off.

Once they were all astride their horses, Dick looked around, "So, which way do we go?"

"We're in the Old West," Xander said. "Isn't it obvious?" Dick looked at him blankly. Xander pointed toward the lowering sun, "Go west, young man."

* * *

It was nearing sunset the next day when the trio of inadvertant time travelers made their way into the Elkhorn Saloon. None of them had any particular problems riding.

Dick had grown up as a ward of the great Bruce Wayne, after all, and recreational horse-riding was one of the many things he'd experienced, though he'd had a bit of trouble with his cantankerous mount. Terra, similarly, had grown up in the wild and had an affection for animals. Well, those that didn't try to eat her, anyway.

As for Xander... well, there were only so many places in Africa you could reach with a four-wheel-drive.

The three of them sat, watching their surroundings. It was agreed that this was their best bet at finding the time traveling thief... though Dick did give Xander a suspicious look.

Xander's attention, however, was focused on the poker game playing out at the center table.

"My pappy always said, 'Faint heart never filled a flush,'" one of the players said. He was a clean-shaven young man with a white shirt, a brown vest, and a red bandanna around his neck.

"It ain't yer pappy's money," replied one of the other players, this one sporting a bowler hat.

"That leaves you and me," said the last player, a well-dressed man with a mustache and long sideburns: Tobias Manning, if Xander remembered correctly. "What're ya holdin', Mister Lash?"

"It'll cost ya another five hundred to find out," Lash said, pushing the chips forward.

"Call," Tobias said, matching the bet. He laid down his cards, "Four Kings and an Ace."

"Well, now, that's a mite perplexin'," Lash mused aloud, "seein' as how I got four Aces and a King." He laid the cards down and moved to collect the chips.

"Well, I got the gun," Tobias drew a peculiar-looking handgun and leveled it at Lash.

Lash held his hands up, then flicked a double-barreled derringer out of his sleeve and pointed it at his opponent, "Lot of that goin' around lately." They both stood, and everyone else vacated the immediate area. "Seems like a waste of a good-sized pot. How 'bout we split it and both walk away?"

"How 'bout I keep it all?" Tobias suggested as his gun expanded six armatures, each with a single barrel at the end.

"That gun's future technology," Dick almost rose. Xander grabbed his hand.

"Not yet," he said. "Trust me. Let this play out first."

"Sounds fair when you explain it," Lash agreed, putting his derringer on the table. Two man stepped in and grabbed him.

"Hang him at dawn," Tobias said, holstering his handgun.

"Don't I get a trial?" Lash protested.

Tobias walked up to him, "Sure. You're guilty. My town, my rules."

"Wait a minute," Lash said as the two men pulled him toward the door. "Can't we talk about this? How 'bout another hand? Double or nothin'?"

"We have to help him," Terra said.

"That's not what we're here for," Dick said. "Someone's tampering with history. There's a lot more at stake than the life of one cardsharp."

"Then it's settled," Xander said. "We'll break him out after sundown."

They both stared at him. He grinned.

"Trust me."

* * *

"Quiet down in there!" the guard said, running his iron pole across the bars.

"That's just what I was tellin' 'im!" Lash snapped.

A gunshot rang out, and the guard turned in surprise.

"Hi," Xander said, punching the guard with his free hand.

Terra looked up at what Xander had shot on the ceiling at the far end of the wall. "Is that a camera?"

Xander nodded, "Yup."

"I'll get the door," Dick said, withdrawing a set of lockpicks.

Xander shot the lock and opened the door, handing Lash his gunbelt.

"That works too," Dick acknowledged. "I'd get out of town if I were you."

"I'd like to," Lash said, "but my pappy always said, 'A man who sticks his head in the sand makes a pretty good target.'" He began slinging his revolver around, putting it through its paces. "I got business to conclude before I leave." He extended a hand to Terra, who shook it, "Bartholomew Aloysius Lash. Friend call me Bat. Bat Lash."

"I'm Alex," Xander said. "These are my friends, Dick and, uh..." he looked at Terra.

"Tara," she supplied.

"We're lawmen," Xander continued. "We came here in search of a particular criminal," he looked pointedly at the occupant of the other cell, "and it looks to me like the fella who put you here turned the tables on him."

"That's right," spoke the other prisoner, walking up to the bars. "David Clinton, inventor of the chronosuit, at your disposal."

"You tried to steal Nighthawk's gun," Dick said, stepping forward.

"And you chased me," Clinton continued. "But time tunnels are somewhat counter-intuitive. Even though you were only seconds me, I arrived here nearly six months before you did."

"And your chronosuit?" Xander prompted.

Clinton slumped down, "Now, that's a story. As soon as I got here, I was robbed."

"By Tobias Manning."

"That's right," Clinton confirmed. He began pacing his cell. "He took my suit and used it to take over this town. He keeps taking trips to the future and coming back with stolen technology."

"Which he uses to keep control of Elkhorn," Xander said.

"Exactly," Clinton nodded. "He keeps me here to teach him how to use the stuff that he can't work out for himself."

"Which I'd suspect is most of it," Bat interject, "what with him being so mule stupid and all."

"It's been horrible here," Clinton complained. "Humiliating. I just want to go home. I'll gladly take my punishment if you help me get back."

"Now," Xander said, "I'm sure everyone enjoyed the little story hour, but I think we'd better get moving. Or am I the only one who remembers the surveillance camera I shot?"

* * *

Tara formed a solid wall of earth to block the entrances and protect them from the gunfire.

"We're surrounded!" Dick snarled. He whirled and glared at Xander, "Brilliant plan of yours."

"Wait for it," Xander said calmly. He had taken the liberty of dosing the unconscious guard with a sedative to keep him quiet.

After a long moment, the gunfire stopped.

"I think you can lower the barricades, Tara," Xander said as he stood up and walked toward the front door.

They were greeted by three men.

"Who are you people?" Dick asked.

"Sheriff Ohiyesa Smith."

"El Diablo, ever at the service of justice."

"Jonah Hex. Don't have a lot of time for jawin'." Jonah began reloading his double-barreled shotgun, "In these parts, there's an abundance of bad men who need settin' straight."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Yee-haw!


	48. 17: The Weird West 2

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 17: The Weird West (2/2) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and season two for Teen Titans, as well as season one of JLU.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Three of our heroes follow a time-traveling thief back in time and team up with the greatest heroes of the Old West.

Author's Note: I want to warn everyone. A lot of this episode is really just a rehash of canon, with the obvious twists.

* * *

Jonah Hex closed his shotgun with a resounding significance and said, "If you all are workin' for Tobias, there's gonna be difficulty." 

"Easy, Jonah," Bat Lash stepped forward. "They're with me. They helped me out of a spot while I was here incognito tryin' to find out more about Tobias."

"What have you learned?" Ohiyesa asked.

"Among other moral failings, the man cheats at poker."

"Ha! I coulda told ya that," Jonah spat.

"Why don't we start from the beginning?" Dick suggested.

It was at this point that Xander started wondering just how much influence Bruce had on the Boy Wonder. Without any cues, Dick was taking Bruce's lines almost word for word.

"I've lived in Elkhorn since the war," Ohiyesa said. "Been sheriff most of that time. This here's a mining town. Booming too. Folks sometimes get a mite rowdy on payday, but still, it's a good place to live. There's never been any mischief here I couldn't handle. Until about six months ago. Tobias Manning's always been trouble. I've run him out of town before. Well, he came back. Except this time he had, I don't know, magic powers."

"There's no such thing as magic, my friend," El Diablo interrupted. "It was some sort of trickery."

Xander barely restrained his laughter. It wouldn't be good to disrupt the solemn moment.

"Well, he tricked me near to death. He whipped me good, ran me out of town like a stray dog. He took over the town, runs it like his own personal kingdom. He treats the townspeople like slaves. That's unacceptable to me."

"The sheriff went looking for men who would help take Tobias down," El Diablo continued. "He found us."

"And what's your stake in this?" Jonah asked.

""We're lawmen," Xander said.

"From back east?" Jonah asked. "Ain't you three a bit young fer this line o' work?"

"What can I say?" Xander deadpanned. "We're gifted. We're here courtesy of this gentleman," he jerked his thumb at Clinton. "He's a thief, and we're here to bring him in. But Tobias stole something from him. It's the source of his magic, and we need to get it back."

_And how did I wind up in Green Lantern's role here?_ he wondered.

"Considering we're both after Manning, if for different reasons, I think we should work together," Tara suggested.

"I ain't about to turn down help," Ohiyesa said.

"What's the plan?" Dick asked.

"Plan?" Jonah snorted. "We put 'em in the ground."

* * *

"Fancy gunbelt you got there," Jonah said to Dick as they rode on. "I'm thinking you folks're time travelers." 

"What would give you a crazy idea like that?" Dick asked.

"Experience. I've had an interesting life."

"We're getting close," Ohiyesa said. "I wanna warn you, there's some downright unusual activity going on hereabouts. Don't let it throw you."

Xander looked up and scanned the skies. "Over there!" he pointed at the pterodactyl rider.

"We've been sighted!" El Diablo called. "They'll be ready for us!"

Xander looked over, "Tara? I think that's your cue."

"You sure you trust me?" she shot back, but the teasing smile on her face took the bite out of the come back. She vaulted off her horse, and the ground rose up to greet her. She flew up to greet the aerial scout, turning a portion of the boulder she rode on into a shield to block the bullets.

She flew above the pterodactyl rider and smashed into the dinosaur's wing, smashing through and revealing it to be a robot. The rider dropped his gun and jumped, extending glider wings and gliding to safety.

Tara flew the boulder near her horse and leaped back into the saddle.

"Well, you've certainly got a flair for the dramatic," Xander deadpanned.

"When you've got it, flaunt it," she replied, throwing her hair back easily. She was beautiful. At that moment, it was easy to see why Gar had fallen so hard for her. In fact...

Xander swallowed hard and shot a quick glare downwards. _Down, boy!_ He sighed, _Abbey's right. I do need to get laid._

* * *

Sheriff Ohiyesa Smith peered through his spyglass as he observed the ranch Tobias Manning had turned into a fortress. They were situated on a rocky outcropping overlooking the ranch. 

Suddenly, the robotic guards opened fire, shattering the spyglass.

"Shots're spookin' the horses," Ohiyesa said.

"Shots're spookin' me!" Bat retorted.

"Tara, cover me!" Xander called as he vaulted over the ridge they were crouching behind and charged. He unloaded the two revolvers he had within seconds, then readied an explosive charge. He staggered as a bullet slammed into his chest, only to be stopped by his kevlar lining.

Suddenly, a wall of dirt emerged in front of him, and he continued his charge. He slowed as he neared the ranch grounds and armed the plastique charge, throwing it over the dirt wall. The explosion shook the ground, and as Tara ran up beside him, he grinned and reloaded his revolvers, "Door's open."

* * *

"A tank?" Dick stared as the tank drove around the corner. "We're not equipped to handle a tank!" 

"Speak for yourself," Xander said, pulling out the pack strapped to his back. "Satchel charge."

* * *

"Giant robots," Xander blinked. "Tara, I believe it's your turn again." 

She gave a melodramatic sigh, "A woman's work is never done."

* * *

"Tobias!" Ohiyesa called. 

"If it isn't Pow Wow Smith," came Tobias Manning's voice from within a barn. "Wasn't expecting to see your sorry hide again."

"I've told you before about calling me that," the sheriff started toward the usurper. "It ain't gonna happen again."

"No. I expect this is the last time. Go for your gun, chief," Tobias said, extending his extra-dimensional six-gun, "so I can ventilate ya proper."

Behind the sheriff, Jonah Hex, El Diablo, Bat Lash, Tara, Dick, and Xander walked up.

"Six guns, six of us," Xander said, drawing the revolver from his side. "Nobody miss."

Nobody did.

"My guns!" Tobias cried out.

"You and me, partner," Ohiyesa rose from where he'd crouched to give them a clear field of fire. "Right now."

"Another day, lawman," Tobias turned. "Nova!"

A winged horse crashed out of the barn, and Tobias vaulted into the saddle. Ohiyesa gave pursuit, and Tara's eyes glowed. Jonah's handed on her shoulder, "Let 'im. Man needs to balance his own accounts."

The sheriff leaped and caught the winged horse before it flew too high, and they came crashing down at the fence bordering the ranch. The winged horse -- a robot -- was damaged beyond repair, and the pursuit continued on foot.

"Have it your way," Tobias said, turning and drawing a bowie knife. "Let's finish this!"

The sheriff made short work of him, and by the time the others arrived, he turned and held up the belt of Clinton's chronosuit, "This what you're lookin' for?"

* * *

"Is this it?" Robin asked. The three Titans were back in their usual crime-fighting costumes. 

"As near as I can figure," Nighthawk shrugged. "Even if we missed anything, it'll fall apart soon enough without supplies or proper maintenance."

"My turn. Again," Terra said, shooting them both a sassy smile as she opened up a pit that reached down to the mantle beneath the pile of future technology.

"Shoot," Bat said. "I wanted me one o' them fancy rayguns."

"Ain't dependable," Jonah snorted. "They jam."

Terra looked curiously at where Nighthawk was holstering one of the revolvers he'd picked up in the current time. He looked back at her, "What? Call it a souvenir. I've always wanted a Colt Single Action Army."

"Sorry about letting you shot," she blurted out sheepishly. "I-I didn't mean to, and-..."

He waved it off, "Don't worry about it. Shit happens. The kevlar stopped it anyway."

Terra blinekd in surprise. It was... weird. First, the gun he'd given her, now this. It was as if...

As if he completely trusted her. Without reservation. The realization was startling, especially considering how he'd first treated her.

"Uh, you forgot to reset the compensator," Clinton said, walking up to Robin, who held the time belt. "Here, let me."

"Don't!" Xander turned, but it was too late. Robin crumpled to the ground as electricity flowed from the belt.

Xander charged, but it was too late. The time tunnel was open.

"Here we go again!" Xander called, grabbing Robin by the back of his cape and leaped into the time tunnel after Clinton. Terra was only a step behind.

* * *

The three of them tumbled to the ground, and Xander muttered, "Gotta work on those landings." 

"We've been expecting you."

The three of them rose, ready to confront the shadowy figures that were emerging from the shadows.

"Jokerz," Xander muttered.

Suddenly, a blast of purple electricity struck the street between them as a voice from above called out, "But I bet you weren't expecting us."

"Right on schedule," Xander grinned as he looked up at the five new arrivals. _Wait, five?_

There were the three he was expecting: the second Batman, a much older Static, and Warhawk. But what was Raven doing here?

_Hmm, she's aged well,_ he thought. She hardly looked a day over thirty. He looked over at the fifth member, _But who is she?_

"She" was a young Caucasian woman with auburn hair in a ponytail that reached just past her shoulders. She had green energy crackling around her hands and flew without any visible support.

She turned, and her dark green eyes met his brown ones in surprise.

"Daddy?"

_This wasn't in the script..._

* * *

Author's Postscript: 

He really is taking Green Lantern's role, isn't he?


	49. 18: Future Imperfect 1

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 18: Future Imperfect (1/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and season two for Teen Titans, as well as season one of JLU.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: The battle with Chronos takes three Titans to a future Gotham City to fight alongside the Justice League Unlimited.

Author's Note: Season finale time.

* * *

"We need to get out of here," the young Batman said.

"Leaving so soon?" one of the Jokerz, Ghoul, asked, stepping forward. "You didn't even take any party favors." He hurled his pumpkin bucket up, unleashing a scattering of sparks and explosions.

"Incoming!" Warhawk shouted.

Terra's eyes glowed as the street below ripped open and formed a dome of rock between them and the explosives. "It's not gonna hold!" she warned, gritting her teeth. "Get ready to run!"

The dome shattered, and she cleared the ground as everyone scattered. Xander found himself facing off against the Dee Dee twins.

"Dee Dee and Dee Dee," he scolded. "Now, what would your grandmother say if she saw you doing this?"

"You leave Nana Harley out of this, Grandpa!"

"Huh?" he blinked.

"Gotcha!" one crowed as she sucker-punched him. As she and her sister brought their laser whips around, Xander dodged one and grabbed the other's wrist. Twisting the laser whip out of her hand, he switched to one-handed grip around her neck and sent a haymaker into her chin. And then another.

Oh, he remembered this episode quite well. There was no way he was going to allow either Dee Dee to go flying and duplicate on impact if he could help it.

"Oof!" The other Dee Dee tackled him from behind, and reflexes took over. He groaned and sat up... and realized he was now facing four Dee Dees.

"Aww... hell."

"We're getting out of here! Now!" came Batman's voice from above.

"Not a chance!" Warhawk shot back from where he was wrestling with the hyena-spliced Woof. "Hold the line!"

"Are you f---ing nuts?" Xander snapped. "We need to regroup! There's more at stake here than a bunch of hopped-up Joker fanboys!"

"I don't remember putting this up for a vote," Batman said, pulling out a Mother Box and activating a Boom Tube. Chucko hurled his Darth Maul lightsaber and knocked the Mother Box from his hand, breaking it and collapsing the Boom Tube.

Suddenly, the earth rose up, flinging the Jokerz one by one down the street and entombing them with in a solid, thick dome.

"Thanks, Terra," Robin said.

"That wasn't me," the Titan said, shaking her head. "I could never do anything on that kind of scale."

"Never say 'never,'" came a voice from above. On a hovering boulder crouched a woman who appeared to be in her sixties. Despite her age, she was still recognizable. "Sorry I'm late," the older Terra said. "Now, let's get out of here before they break free."

Raven held out her cloak, "All aboard the Raven Express."

* * *

"This is Justice League headquarters?" Robin asked in disbelief.

"For now," Static said, turning on the computer. "We're all that's left of the League."

"You've traveled about fifty years into your future," Batman added.

Terra looked around, then looked at her older self. "So... where's...?" she trailed off.

The older Terra shook her head sadly, "Not long after when you're from. Bane."

The younger Terra shook her head in denial.

"The Titans?" Robin asked.

"Gone," Raven spoke up, pulling her hood back. She walked up to Xander and, without a word, pulled him into a deep kiss.

"Hey!" the redhead protested. "Auntie Rae! Lips off my dad!"

"'Auntie Rae'? 'DAD'?" Robin and Terra chorused. They both looked at Xander, "What's going on here!"

"MMPH!" was his only response.

Finally, Raven pulled back and smiled, "I missed you."

"Good to see you too, Rae, but next time, no tongue," he said. He turned to the redhead warily. "Okay, I recognize everyone else, but who are you?"

"I'm Nightfire," she said. "Joyce Harris."

"Your mother," Xander croaked. "Who is she?"

She grinned, "I think the starbolts kind of give it away."

Xander slumped in amazement, not even noticing the death glare Robin was shooting him.

"Yes," Nightfire said with a melodramatic flair, "I am actually your love child from your secret love affair with Blackfire."

Dead silence greeted that announcement. Nightfire giggled, "You guys are too easy."

Robin shook his head in resignation, "Yup. She's definitely your daughter." He looked up, "What about the Batcave?"

"This is all we have left now," came another voice. Its owner, an elderly man, stepped out of the shadows. "Deal with it."

Robin hesitated for a moment, "Bruce?"

"Hello, old man," Xander said.

"Surprised to see me?"

"Of course not," Xander snorted. "I saw this episode." He jabbed an accusatory finger at him, ignoring the puzzled looks coming from Static and Warhawk, and continued, "You, Diana, and John Stewart were supposed to catch Clinton trying to steal your utility belt from the Watchtower several months after the JLU is formed. You were supposed to follow him on this History Channel special. It was not supposed to be the three of us catching him trying to steal my gun before the JLU even existed!"

"If you weren't here, that gun wouldn't have been worth stealing."

Xander had no response to that.

"You were right, by the way," Bruce added, inclining his head toward Batman. "He did need my help."

"Hey!"

"Told you he would."

"Still," Bruce's face darkened, "I assume you know at least enough to help?"

Xander nodded, "Some. I only saw the episode once, though, so don't expect any miracles. The timeline's being contaminated. Chronos is swiping monuments from all over history and dropping them in Gotham without regard for temporal stability, and it's tearing the time-space continuum apart." He looked over at Static, "And contrary to what you might think, just because two Terras are here doesn't mean we've already won." He looked at the older Terra, "You don't remember any of this, do you?"

The old woman shook her head.

Everyone stared at him. Xander blinked, "What?"

"You actually understood everything you just said?" Robin asked skeptically.

"Of course I do," Xander replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It's comic book physics."

"Okay, okay," Static said, "time out. Someone wanna fill me in here?"

* * *

"Ooh, very Matrix-y," Xander quipped as he looked at the green symbols flooding across the computer screen. Bruce shot him a withering look.

"We still don't know much about him," Batman said. "Obviously, he's a time traveling warlord. He's littered the streets with buildings he's stolen from other time periods." He looked at Xander, "Unless you've got anything to add?"

"His name is David Clinton," Xander said. "He started off as a history nut from this time's Gotham City, stealing minor things from history that he thought no one would miss to add to his private collection. We caught him trying to steal my gun and chased him back to the Old West. A guy there stole the time belt off his suit and showed him just how powerful he could be. He's got a bit of a limited imagination."

"That doesn't make him any less dangerous," Robin said as he straightened. "But I got a good look at his time belt. I've written a program that should disable it." Xander gave him an odd look, then simply shook his head.

"If we can get close enough to upload it," Warhawk pointed out.

"We're running out of time," Xander said, pointing at the monitors, where it showed a whiteness converging on the edges of the city. "Literally."

"We need to find Chronos," Batman said.

"How?" Static asked. "He could be anywhere." He looked over at Xander, "Unless you know?"

Xander shook his head. "I barely remember this half of the episode. I was too busy giggling in glee at seeing Terry over there again after his series got canceled," he said, jerking a thumb at Batman.

"Could you please stop talking about us like that?" Batman scowled.

"Fine, fine," Xander waved it off. "But one thing I do remember: We need to find Clinton's wife. She'll know where he is."

"How're we gonna do that?" Static asked.

"The old-fashioned way, of course," Xander said, turning to leave.

"It's not gonna work," Batman said. "You don't know your way around here. A lot of things have changed."

Xander pushed the doors open, "Buildings change, cities change, even people change. But the criminal element doesn't. Am I right, Bruce?"

"Yup."

"Then let's get moving."

* * *

"So, um, what's the story with the Dee Dee twins?" Xander asked his future daughter as she carried him over Gotham. "They, uh, called me 'grandpa.'"

"Their father was your godson, Dad."

"Oh."

They flew in silence for a long moment. This was... extremely awkward. He had known about Kori's feelings for him for a while now, but he'd been trying to keep his distance -- albeit not with a great deal of success -- for various reasons, not the least of which was the fact that, appearances aside, he was a good ten years older than her.

"You never did tell me why you named me Joyce, Daddy."

Xander snapped back to the current moment and thought for a bit before he answered, "She was the mother I never had, someone I'd die to protect... someone I'd kill to protect."

Nightfire... no, Joyce looked down at him thoughtfully. "It didn't save her, did it?" she asked quietly.

He looked away. "No. It didn't."

"Did Mom know her?"

"No, that was before your mother's time."

"Oh, from your home dimension? Before you got younger?"

Xander looked up at her, "...I take it I told you that part?"

"Yeah, but you never said much else," she replied. "I always wondered why."

"The less you know, honey, the better you'll sleep," he spoke quietly.

"That's the second time you've told me that." She looked down at him with a frown, "I'm not nine anymore, y'know."

"It's the truth," he said with a small shrug.

"You need to confide in someone here, Daddy, or it'll kill you!" she snapped as her flight path faltered. She sniffled and whispered, "It did kill you." Shaking it off, she looked up and focused on flying.

_Now I'm starting to understand how everyone else feels when I start talking about the future..._ he thought, stunned.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

And the adventure continues.


	50. 18: Future Imperfect 2

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 18: Future Imperfect (2/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and season two for Teen Titans, as well as season one of JLU.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: The battle with Chronos takes three Titans to a future Gotham City to fight alongside the Justice League Unlimited.

Author's Note: Season finale time.

* * *

Xander crouched at the edge of the building. He stiffened, rose, and turned to face Ghoul, who had just arrived.

"Hey," Ghoul said. "You're Nighthawk, aren't you? Y'know, I've seen history cubes about you. Not as good as the original Batman, so I hear. Still, hard to believe someone as stupid as you killed the Joker." Ghoul raised his right arm, extending a buzzsaw blade.

Xander raised an eyebrow.

"I killed the Joker?"

"Oh?" Ghoul's grin broadened. "You mean you didn't know?"

Xander shrugged, "Can't say that I did. Static?"

ZAKK!

The bolt of electricity struck Ghoul's cybernetic limb, and he fell to the ground. He rolled over to see the entire line-up of heroes.

"Oh, terrific," the Jokerz ganger muttered.

"You've got some information we need, Ghoul," Batman said.

"You won't find me the talkative sort," Ghoul replied.

Xander grabbed Ghoul and picked him up. Leaning in close, he said calmly, "You seem to misunderstand your situation here." With that, he rammed his knee into Ghoul's crotch and let him go. The Joker crumpled into a ball, clutching his crotch.

Xander pulled out the Colt Single Action Army he had picked up from Elkhorn and emptied the cylinder. He pocketed all but one of the bullets and held up the last one. He slid it back into the gun and spun the cylinder, snapping the revolver closed. "We're gonna play a little Russian Roulette."

He pressed the muzzle of the gun to Ghoul's crotch and pulled back the hammer, "Now, care to talk?"

"N-no way, man!" Ghoul hissed. "You're bluffin'!"

Xander pulled the trigger.

Click.

"That's one."

* * *

"-and we've got nine thousand four hundred and fifty-three active Jokerz organized into about two hundred smaller groups. I don't know where Chronos is. He contacts us. He spends every night in a different one of those old buildings. There's no way of knowing ahead of time where he's gonna be. And that's everything I know!"

"'Everything'?" Xander repeated skeptically, pulling the hammer back again.

Ghoul's eyes darted around, then he looked down, "I wet my bed until I was fourteen."

On the other side of the building, a somewhat different discussion was taking place.

"Sorry about kissing your father like that," Raven said, "but he... he means a lot to me."

"Keep your hands to yourself, Aunt Raven," Nightfire scowled. "He's my father, and I don't even want to think about... ew!" She shuddered.

"Oh, come on," Raven flashed her an evil smile. "From what I heard from your mother, he's a Viking in the sack."

"Oh, eww!" Nightfire recoiled.

"I'm just saying," Raven held up a hand, "it's a good thing for you they needed a lab to have kids, or you'd have a lot of siblings."

"Auntie Rae!"

Raven grinned.

* * *

"That was a little harsh," Robin commented, looking over to where Ghoul was cowering at the corner of the building.

"Nah," Xander waved it off. He pulled out the bullet from the revolver and tossed it to him. "Notice what's missing?"

Robin examined the round and frowned, "No primer." He looked up, "You were bluffing?"

"Of course," Xander said. "I couldn't risk actually blowing his bits off before he told us what we needed to know. He's a street thug. There isn't a street thug in all of time that's going to risk his bits on the chance I'm bluffing, especially not after he saw me load it. With the cybernetics, I was worried they'd be armored."

"That's why you hit him there."

Xander nodded, "I got the idea just before we left, while you were fiddling with the time belt, and had Elkhorn's gunsmith make the blank for me."

"You sneaky son of a bitch," Robin shook his head in amusement.

* * *

The pyramid of Giza was easy to find.

"Can we really do this?" Joyce murmured as she looked up at the imposing structure. "I mean, he travels through time, rules the world, and treats reality like a toy."

"'Course we can," Xander said. "It's been done before."

"Oh, right," she smiled. "Mom told me about that."

"What else did your mother tell you?" Xander asked, a worried frown crossing his face.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she winked at him and started for the entrance.

Terra walked up beside him and stopped. "Robin's right. She's definitely your daughter," she said, then marched ahead.

Xander whimpered as he started forward himself.

"It's partly why you and Kori wound up together," Raven said, landing beside him and walking with him.

"Huh?"

"Apparently," Raven said with a faint smile, "in the future she visited, we were together. Pissed me off to no end when I found out, but..." she shrugged, "I got over it. If not you."

Xander swallowed nervously.

* * *

The guards at the pyramid were considerably less impressive than they had anticipated. Jokerz and robotic guards fell easily to the onslaught.

Robin stepped into the room, "Enid Clinton..."

Robin seemed to shimmer a little -- almost like a video image de-rezzing -- and was replaced by a taller, slightly broader-shouldered person in a different Robin costume. The spandex leggings were replaced with shorts, and his boots and mask changed from black to green. The cape -- once black on the outside and yellow on the interior -- was now entirely yellow.

He continued talking as if nothing had happened, "...we need to see your husband." He noted the stares everyone was giving him, "What?"

"Dick?" Xander asked hesitantly.

"Jason Todd," Robin replied. "It's a time shift. Don't worry; I'm up to speed." He continued walking toward Enid.

"Okay," Batman complained, "I'm starting to get a migraine."

"It only gets worse from here, Terry," Xander said. "Any one of us could change or cease to exist at any moment."

As if that were a cue, he vanished.

"Daddy?" Nightfire shrieked

Robin turned and muttered softly, "He never came to this world."

"Or he was never born," Raven added.

"So... how am I still here?" Nightfire asked.

"The damage to reality's getting worse," the younger Terra said.

Her older self nodded, "Cause and effect are getting disconnected."

Robin turned back to Enid, "Ma'am, we have to undo all of this. That's why we need to find your husband. We'll do our best not to harm him."

"Between you and me," Enid said, "I wouldn't mind one bit if he got roughed up along the way."

"Then where is he tonight?" Warhawk asked. "The Parthenon? The Great Sphinx?"

"He just wants people to think he moves around," Enid said. "He always sleeps in the same place."

* * *

It seemed odd to Terra -- the younger -- that the great and powerful Lord Chronos, as he had become now, would choose to sleep in the same Elkhorn jail that he had been imprisoned in for six months back in the Old West. Even if it was now in the Coliseum's arena.

"The psychologists would have a field day with this guy, don't you think?" her older self asked, startling her out of her thoughts.

She smiled, "Yeah, no kidding."

Robin stood from where he examined the door. "No traps or alarms," he said, then suddenly morphed back into the more familiar shape of Dick Grayson. "At least, none that I can detect."

"Make up your mind, would you?" Static snapped petulantly.

Robin scowled.

"If we don't beat this guy," Warhawk noted, "it's the end of everything."

Batman walked up next to him, "We've been there before."

"Not like this." Warhawk looked down and asked rhetorically, "What are you supposed to do when you have the weight of the world on your shoulders?"

"Fight until you can't," Nightfire said, her voice deceptively calm. "That's what my dad always said."

One by one, they entered the jail and walked to the back, where the cells were. The younger Terra shook her head, "I don't get it. Of all the places he could sleep, why sleep here?"

"Because a loser with a kingdom is still just a loser," Enid said, elbowing her way to the front. "See for yourself," she said, yanking the blanket off, revealing her husband in the cot, curled up and sucking his thumb.

Chronos woke, and sat up, "Enid?"

"Nice on the stealth thing, lady," Batman deadpanned.

Chronos touched his time belt, and a time tunnel formed. Out of it emerged Bonk, Chucko, Woof, Ghoul, and the Dee Dee twins.

The Jokerz were back.

* * *

The Elkhorn jail exploded in green fire.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

One more part to go.


	51. 18: Future Imperfect 3

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 18: Future Imperfect (3/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and season two for Teen Titans, as well as season one of JLU.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: The battle with Chronos takes three Titans to a future Gotham City to fight alongside the Justice League Unlimited.

Author's Note: Season finale time.

* * *

"Get the belt!" Robin cried. "Nothing else matters!" As he and Batman charged into the cell, Chronos activated his time belt again and dove into another time tunnel before they could catch him.

Robin felt heat across his back, and he turned. It was then that he recalled just what exactly powered a Tamaranian's starbolts.

Righteous fury.

And at the moment, Nightfire had that in spades.

"Take cover!"

For a few moments, the world burned green.

* * *

The two Terras were able to shield their fellow heroes from the worst of the explosion. The Jokerz were not so lucky, and Chucko took the brunt of the blast. Chucko's image flickered and faded. It was a hologram.

Batman recognized the robot that was revealed underneath, "Zeta?"

"Target acquired," the robot spoke in a monotone.

"Aw, slag."

Starbolts sent Zeta stumbling back a step, and then it charged toward Nightfire. A bolt of purple lightning struck Zeta, playing out harmlessly across its outer shell. Static cursed, then looked up as the building trembled again.

"We've gotta get out of here!" Static warned. "Building's comin' down!"

"Oops," Nightfire muttered as everyone scrambled to leave the building. "I guess Daddy was wrong. There is such a thing as overkill. Oof!" The Zeta unit had tackled her.

"Or not. Let me show you something Daddy once suggested I could do," Nightfire snarled. "He called it the Nova Flame."

* * *

"Robin!" Terra turned back to the Elkhorn jail. Robin hadn't quite made it out of the building before it exploded and collapsed.

"Look out!" Terra found herself tackled by... herself. The older Terra crumpled to the ground, the charred gash across her back and the severed rock pillar next to her standing mute testimony to what the Dee Dee twins' laser whips could do.

"No!"

The older Terra looked up and cracked a wry smile, "Hey... who else am I gonna die for?"

Terra's eyes glowed, and her hair rose as she turned to face the Dee Dee twins, but her concentration shattered as a buzzsaw grazed her arm. She backed away and turned to face Ghoul.

Woof charged and tackled Static, who recovered in mid-air, landing on his Static-Saucer and returning fire. Woof scampered away until the very ground started to destabilize, glowing white as it begin to dissolve from the temporal instability. Static cried out as the void dragged him in.

As Batman landed and put down Enid, three British redcoats appeared.

"It 'appened again!" one of them exclaimed.

Another pointed toward the battle, "Look out! Monsters!"

"Fire at will!" the third ordered.

Batman's eyes widened, and he shoved Enid out of the line of fire as they shot him with their Brown Bess muskets. They didn't do much damage, but they hurt, knocking him to the ground.

That was all it took. One of the Dee Dees lashed his arm with her laser whip. By now, there were four of them, and soon, the other three had his other three limbs pinned.

"Batman's not paying us any attention, Dee Dee."

"He should be punished, Dee Dee."

They pulled, and energy crackled through the Batsuit.

* * *

"Terry!" Bruce rose from his seat at the computer as he watched in horror. He lowered his head when the vitals flatlined. "Terry..."

* * *

Terra backed away and raised pillars and hurled small rocks, but she was having trouble concentrating as Ghoul pressed the assault. Suddenly, Warhawk dove down and tackled Ghoul.

Terra turned and barely managed to erect a stone barrier before Bonk's mallet hand smashed into it, shattering it.

The three redcoats continued pursuing Woof, and Enid did her best to avoid getting mixed up in the fight. A time tunnel opened next to her.

"How could you betray me, Enid?" Chronos asked, emerging from the time tunnel. "Everything I've done, I've done for you."

"Don't blame this on me," she scolded. "I just wanted you to assert yourself, not destroy the universe!"

Meanwhile, Warhawk had knocked out Ghoul and tossed him to the side. Unfortunately, a temporal rift chose that moment to occur, and the mammoth that appeared knocked him silly.

Woof looked down at Warhawk, who had landed at his feet, and raised a claw... only to be smashed in the chest by a rock the size of his head. "You okay?" Raven asked.

"I'll live."

"Chronos!" Robin called as he finally pulled himself free of the wreckage.

"You are good," Chronos said. He looked at Enid, "Isn't he good?"

"Look at what you've done!" Robin said. "Look up!"

He did, and he saw the whiteness of non-existence spreading across the sky.

"Pretty..." Chronos muttered.

Nightfire blasted out of the wreckage and landed next to Robin. Terra joined them. "You small-minded, self-serving idiot!" Nightfire snarled. "Do you have any idea what you've done? You caused all this!"

"Right," Chronos said, seeming to focus on the situation. "You're right. This calls for another approach." He kissed Enid on the cheek and created a time tunnel. "You'll love me next time!" he called as he dove in.

Nightfire, Terra, and Robin dove in after him.

"Where does he think he's going?" Robin asked. "There's nothing left!"

"Not quite," Nightfire said. "The beginning of time. Something Daddy told me about. If anyone were to witness it, he'd awaken something that'll destroy reality itself."

At the far end of the time tunnel, they could see the first few moments of time, going backwards as the giant hand began to close.

"He's doing a fine job without any help," Terra snapped.

Robin aimed his grappler and fired.

"No!" Chronos cried as it latched onto his wrist. Robin pulled him back toward the trio and slid the disc he'd programmed into the time belt.

"Uploading now!"

"Hurry up!" Nightfire snarled as she gritted her teeth, holding onto the other three. "Can't... slow... down..."

Reality stopped.

* * *

Beast Boy rose from the breakfast table he shared with Robin and Terra. "I'm gonna head outside," he said.

Terra looked around and leaned over to Robin, asking hesitantly, "Did that... actually happen?"

"I think so," Robin said, looking around curiously.

"Then we won... right?"

"Morning," Nighthawk greeting them as he joined them for breakfast.

"Morning," Robin replied.

"You okay, Terra?" Nighthawk asked, nodding at the gash in her arm. "Looks pretty bad."

"Uh, I'm fine," Terra said, covering the wound with her other hand. "Thanks," she smiled at him. At his puzzled look, she added, "For caring."

"Hey, you're one of us now," he said with a shrug, as if that explained it all. In retrospect, maybe it did.

After a moment, Robin asked him, "You don't remember going on a mission with us today, do you?"

Xander blinked, "Mission? What mission?" _And why does that line sound familiar?_

"Nevermind," Robin waved it off.

"So, we're the only two who remember?" Terra whispered to Robin.

"Apparently," Robin nodded. He looked up as the door opened again, and as Starfire entered the room, he smiled and leaned back, "But you know what? That might not be so bad."

"Well, what about Chronos?" Terra asked.

"I reprogrammed the belt to make sure Chronos would never come to exist," Robin replied.

* * *

"You worthless, good for nothing, wretched waste of space!" Enid Clinton roared. "You invent a time machine and can't think of anything useful to do with it?"

"I can think of one thing," her husband, David, pulled the hood of his chronosuit over his head.

Flash.

"You worthless, good for nothing, wretched waste of space!" Enid Clinton roared. "You invent a time machine and can't think of anything useful to do with it?"

"I can think of one thing," her husband, David, pulled the hood of his chronosuit over his head.

Flash.

"You worthless, good for nothing, wretched waste of space!" Enid Clinton roared. "You invent a time machine and can't think of anything useful to do with it?"

"I can think of one thing," her husband, David, pulled the hood of his chronosuit over his head.

Flash.

* * *

"Did it work?" The voice sounded female. Anxious. Nightfire also thought it sounded vaguely familiar.

"We got someone," another voice said. Nightfire shot to her feet and dropped into a fighting stance. She kept her hands free of starbolts -- no reason to expose herself.

She found herself facing several people. People she recognized.

"Hey, it's all right," the redhead said soothingly. "We're not gonna hurt you."

Nightfire stared at her, slack-jawed.

"Auntie Will?"

* * *

Author's Postscript:

And thus ends the extended first season of The Nighthawk Chronicles.


	52. 19: Turncoat 1

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 19: Turncoat (1/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Deception for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Deception and betrayal abound when the Titans receive a call for help from an unexpected source.

Author's Note: Whee! New season! Shiny!

* * *

Thump! Thump thump thump! 

Xander groaned and rolled over. He opened his eyes blearily and mumbled loudly, "Jussamit!"

Throwing some pants on, he undid the seven deadbolts and two chains on the door, then pulled aside the chair propped up under the door handle. He cracked the door and peered out sleepily, "Terra? What is it?"

She raised an eyebrow and held up the phone, "Call on line one. Don't you have enough girlfriends already?"

"Well, I don't have you yet, do I?" he waggled his eyebrows as he accepted the phone. "Hello?"

/Xander?./

All sleep vanished from his mind at that one word. He recognized the voice, in more ways than one. He'd heard that tone of voice more times than he cared to count, and less often than he would have liked. He heard it whenever one of his slayers had gotten in over her head while on patrol and lived long enough to realize it. Too many never did.

As for the voice itself...

"Jinx?" he asked tentatively. "What's wrong?"

/I... I called to warn you/ she said. /The Headmaster, Brother Blood, he's planning something. Something big, and- huh?./

"What?"

/Nothing. I thought I heard something./

"Where are you?" Xander asked, as he felt a sudden chill.

/In the warehouse district, why?./ she asked.

"Stay there, I'll-..." He was cut off by a shriek from the other end of the phone. "JINX!"

The line went dead.

* * *

The alarm echoed throughout Titans' Tower. Six Titans scrambled, and eventually, they found their way to the garage. 

"Terra?" Beast Boy asked. "What happened? Are you all right?"

The terrakinetic shook her head, still staring down the access tunnel that led to the mainland.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she shook her head and looked at the other Titans. "Xander got a call, from someone named Jinx."

"'Jinx'? Robin repeated with a frown. "What about?"

"I don't know," Terra replied. "I think she's in trouble. Xander just ran off." She frowned, "I'm worried about him. I've never seen him like that."

"We have," Robin said, his voice growing hard. "He nearly got himself killed last time."

"Last time and every time," Raptor snorted. "Don't worry about the Boss. He'll pull through. Nothing keeps him from his girls. Or anyone who hurts them. Worry about whoever was dumb enough to hurt his girl."

At the reminder of how Nighthawk treated Jinx, Starfire and Raven both glowered.

"Uh, are we gonna just stand here, or are we gonna go follow him?" Cyborg asked.

* * *

"Funny thing about this, though," Xander said conversationally. "I'm not as strong as Batman, so I can't really keep this up very long. I mean, I don't think I'm asking for much. I just want a few questions answered. Is that really too much to ask?" 

From where he was dangling -- by his ankle from Xander's grip over the edge of a roof -- the person he was talking to shook his head, "No, of course not! Not at all! Whaddaya need to know?"

"Nighthawk!"

Xander turned to where he heard Robin's voice and saw the Titans gathered on the opposite end of the rooftop. "Oh, hi, guys. I'm a little busy. Lemme finish up here first. My arm's getting tired."

"What are you doing, friend Nighthawk?" Starfire asked.

"Oh, nothing much," Xander said. "Just having a friendly conversation with Bob here." He looked down at his captive, "Isn't that right, Bob?"

"My name's-..."

"Anyway, Bob, where were we?" Xander cut him off. "Oh, yeah. Girl, about yea tall, pink hair, propensity for goth clothing. Did you happen to see her tonight?"

"Well," Robin muttered, "at least he isn't using a revolver and a blank this time..."

"Watch yourselves," Raptor murmured to the other Titans. "He's way too cheerful. He's about to snap. Again."

"Yes!" "Bob" yelled. "I saw her go into one of the warehouses while I was passing by. I dunno what happened after that, I swear!"

"Which warehouse?" Xander asked. His arm dropped a little, but he caught himself before letting go.

"The abandoned one on Pier Thirty!" shrieked "Bob."

Xander hauled "Bob" up and laid him down on the roof, "Thanks, Bob. You've been a great help." He began to massage his arm as he turned toward the other Titans, "So, what's up, guys?"

Robin watched as "Bob" scampered for the roof access. He looked back at Xander, "Who was that?"

Xander shrugged, "Just some lowlife I found lurking around. 'Scuse me. Gotta run." He turned and vaulted over the edge of the roof. The Titans dashed forward and looked over to see him lowering himself to the street below via grappler. He dashed for the N-Cycle at the end of the street.

Robin looked at Raptor, "Is he usually this hard to keep up with when he's like this?"

"Pretty much, yeah," she nodded, a resigned look on her face. She shrugged... and also vaulted over the edge, slowing herself against the wall.

"Okay," Cyborg said, leaning against the lip of the roof grumpily. "That's gonna get old real quick."

Robin followed. Immediately behind him were , Raven, Starfire, Terra, and a green raven. Cyborg scowled, "I was right. Man, I need to install a jetpack."

A boulder lowered itself in front of him. Terra sheepishly offered him a hand up.

"Thanks."

* * *

"Boss?" Abbey asked tentatively as she entered the warehouse. "You all right?" 

"I'm fine," he said, not bothering to turn around.

She walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder, "What happened, Boss?"

"She tried to warn us, Raptor," he said softly, crouching down and examining the floor. "Someone got to her first." He clenched a fist.

"Who, Boss?" she asked.

He looked up at her, eyes blazing, "Brother Blood."

Abbey took a half-step back at the intensity of his gaze. "We'll get him, Boss. You know we will."

"'We'?" he repeated, straightening up. He headed for the exit, then turned and look back at her, "Brother Blood is mine."

"But-..."

"Rule Six, Ab," he said quietly. "Rule Six."

Abbey blinked, then snarled, "That's bullshit, Boss, and you know it! So what if he's human? That rule's about killing, not fighting!" She slumped as the realization struck her, "You're going to kill him."

"Or die trying, after I rescue Jinx."

Abbey felt a chill run down her spine, then strode forward, grabbed him by the shoulder, turned him around, and smacked him lightly upside the head.

"Ow!"

Well, lightly for a slayer.

"Brilliant plan, Boss," she scolded, "and just how exactly are you planning on finding either of them?"

He blinked, "Uhh..." His face reddened.

"Remember what you told us?" she demanded. "'I'll make it up as I go' is not the kind of plan someone survives, slayer or not, and we're a team for a reason." She paused and added, "Besides, you don't really want to end up on a broody revenge kick like Deadboy, do you?"

He jerked back, "Okay, now I'm insulted." He glared at her, "And as it happens, I do have a plan to find her."

* * *

Author's Postscript: 

Jinx is BACK!

Well, sort of. Will be, anyway.


	53. 19: Turncoat 2

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 19: Turncoat (2/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Deception for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Deception and betrayal abound when the Titans receive a call for help from an unexpected source.

Author's Note: Whee! New season! Shiny!

* * *

"What are you looking for?" Robin asked. Nighthawk's hands were blurring across the ops center computers keyboard. He didn't even know Nighthawk could type that fast.

"That," Nighthawk said, pointing at the monitor. It was map of Jump City, and a red dot blinked on the screen.

"What is that?"

"The homing beacon I gave Jinx a few weeks ago."

Robin stiffened as he processed the implications. "You've been meeting with her?"

Nighthawk blinked at him and shrugged, "Well, yeah. She needed someone to talk to."

"About what?" Robin frowned.

Nighthawk paused before answering quietly, "She gave me her trust, Robin. I'm not going to break it."

Robin opened his mouth, then closed it and ground his teeth in frustration. He couldn't believe this! This whole set up practically screamed "Trap!" to him, and Nighthawk was blind to it all!

"Look, Robin," Nighthawk said, breaking his train of thought, "you don't have to worry about me charging in, half-cocked, guns blazing."

"Well, that's good," Robin said, relieved. _Maybe we can deal with this without anyone getting killed..._

"After all, a half-cocked gun is dangerous and not really useful."

Dead silence.

"Kidding! Kidding!" Nighthawk held his hands up placatingly. "I've raided a few secured compounds before. I'm not about to charge into a superior force and risk getting myself killed without knowing exactly where she is or the layout of the place. The homing beacon isn't that precise."

"You what?"

"Hey, it was Africa, and they were auctioning off my slayers as slaves and for body parts."

"And once you do find out what you need?" Raven broke in.

Nighthawk nodded emphatically, "Then I'll risk getting myself killed getting her out."

"That's not very reassuring," Robin growled.

"Maybe, but getting killed isn't the plan," Nighthawk said. "It's a risk."

"And the plan would be...?" Raven asked.

"Get the other dumb bastards killed trying to stop me from getting her out."

There was dead silence.

"Okay, seriously?" Nighthawk said. "I can't make a plan until we have the intel. I don't like making things up as I go along -- that kind of plan gets the wrong people killed -- but I don't see much choice here."

"You sound like you've got some experience with by-the-seat-of-your-pants planning," Terra observed.

Nighthawk unconsciously reached up to his eye, "You could say that." He looked up, "But hey, who hasn't?"

"So how are you planning on getting the intel?" Terra asked.

"That's where Cyborg comes in," Robin answered.

"'Cyborg'?" Beast Boy repeated. "What are you gonna do? Dress him up as a washing machine?" he snorted, giving Cyborg a good-natured backslap.

Cyborg fell over.

"Ahh!" Beast Boy jumped and clung to the ceiling.

"That isn't me," came Cyborg's voice from elsewhere in the room. "That's my fully robotic replacement." He walked up and righted the robot, "Not nearly as charming, but he can bench-press a bus."

The other Titans leaned in and peered at the robotic double curiously. Starfire hesitantly tapped it on the head.

"Booya!" the robot suddenly yelled... as its head popped off on a spring.

"He still has a few bugs to work out," Cyborg admitted. "With this standing in for me, no one'll guess I'm working undercover."

"Using the holorings again?" Nighthawk asked.

Cyborg nodded, "Yup."

* * *

Xander dropped to his rear as the massive fist flew over his head, smashing through the warehouse's concrete wall behind him. Rolling over and out of the way, he scrambled to get some distance before his opponent got his fist out of the wall.

He latched onto the giant's back and brought his forearm across his throat. "I just want some answers, Mammoth," he hissed into his ear. "Where's Jinx? What's Blood done with her?"

Mammoth roared and plucked him off his back. Hurling him across the room, the big man snarled, "It's because of you! You're the reason she crossed the Headmaster! No one crosses the Headmaster!"

Xander groaned as he staggered to his feet. Glaring at Mammoth, he shot back, "Then just call me 'no one.' You're gonna answer my questions one way or another."

* * *

"You really think you can protect her from the Headmaster?"

"It's what I do," Xander said with a shrug.

He and Mammoth were both slumped against the wall, bruised and battered and sporting a few other injuries they were trying their level best to ignore. As fatigued as they were, neither was in any condition to restart the fight.

"Actually," Xander added, "I was sorta planning on killing Brother Blood, but that can wait."

"Blood cannot be killed."

"They said the same thing about Slade," Xander snorted. "Believe me, there's a way to kill everyone and everything in the universe. Even if it takes destroying the universe to do it."

Mammoth looked over at him and frowned, deep in thought, "You're really serious, aren't you?"

"No," Xander quipped. "In fact, I've never been to Azkaban."

Mammoth barked out a laugh. Then scowled at Xander's surprise, "Hey, big doesn't always mean dumb. I read."

"Sorry," Xander said with a shrug. He leaned back, "So, you gonna help me, or are we gonna go back to fighting again?"

* * *

"Cyborg! Do you copy?" Robin called into the transmitter. Most of the other Titans were gathered around him in the ops center. "Cyborg, come in!"

/This isn't a good time, guys/ Cyborg hissed back. /We've got a Theory of Mayhem test tomorrow, and I'm totally gonna bomb./

"Please tell me you're joking," Robin said flatly.

/Yeah, um... look, sorry I haven't checked in/ Cyborg apologized. /I've been learning their combat techniques, weapons, armor, and we had a dance-/

"A dance?" Robin sputtered. "Cyborg, you're there to find out what the HIVE is planning, not learn to tango!"

"No, he's there to find Jinx," came a voice from behind them.

Robin whirled around, "Nighthawk, where the heck have you been?"

"Are you all right?" Starfire asked anxiously, floating up to him. Raven pushed her aside and touched his shoulder, feeding healing energies into him.

"I'm fine," he replied shortly, shrugging away from them. "I've just been following up on some leads." He walked up to the comm station, "Vic, what's up?"

/I'm sorry. This hasn't exactly been a tea party, okay/ Cyborg replied. /I just need a little more time./

"Or maybe it's time we went on the offensive," Robin said.

Xander shook his head and left the ops center. He turned when he heard the door open and close again behind him.

"You're hurt," Terra said, grabbing his head and tilting it forcefully, angling for better light and peeling back the corner of his mask.

"Ow! Hey!"

"That's quite a shiner you've got there."

"It'll heal," he shrugged as he fitted the mask back into place.

"What happened?" she asked bluntly.

"Like I said, I was following some leads," he replied curtly. "They weren't being very cooperative. Now, if you'll excuse me," he pulled away and turned.

She grabbed him by the arm. "Ah!" he hissed as the bruise there flared up. He looked back at her and glowered, "What?"

"Be careful."

"I will," he said. Walking away, he shook his head and grumbled, "Why do the cute ones always abuse me?"

Neither of them noticed the green-skinned figure in the shadows.

* * *

"Think I just found the class project," Cyborg murmured into his comm. "They're building something called-"

"-an ion amplifier," came Brother Blood's voice.

Cyborg rose and spun, tucking his non-hologram-covered arm behind his back.

/Cyborg/ Robin called over the comm. /Who's-/ the signal was cut off.

"Well, this is a surprise, Mister Stone," Blood said, stepping into the light. "Or should I say... Cyborg?"

Cyborg dropped the hologram and leveled his sonic cannon at the Headmaster, but Blood didn't even flinch, "Relax. I don't want to fight." He held up the ion amplifier and commented, "It's a remarkable weapon, really. Compact... elegant... devastating in its power. But it's nothing compared to you."

"What do you want from me?" Cyborg asked.

"Oh, it's not what I want that matters," Blood said, walking around the desk. "It's what you want... and what I can give you."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Ever have one of those days where it seems like the world is out to get you?

Xander's having one of those days. Again.


	54. 19: Turncoat 3

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 19: Turncoat (3/3) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and Deception for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Deception and betrayal abound when the Titans receive a call for help from an unexpected source.

Author's Note: Whee! New season! Shiny!

* * *

Xander resisted the urge to hum the Mission Impossible theme as he slid himself along through the air duct. It was the stealthiest way he could think of to infiltrate the HIVE complex, and by minimizing impact with the duct, he minimized the noise he made. He was fairly sure the other Titans were going to make their move pretty soon, but their priorities did not match his.

He just hoped Mammoth was telling him the truth. The "Reeducation Center" -- Xander gagged at the name -- was almost certainly where he was going to find Jinx.

Xander stopped when he felt his gloved hand run across a grate. Squirming slightly to pluck the light-amplification goggles from his belt, he peered through the grate.

Nothing. Even with the goggles, there wasn't enough light to see anything.

Cursing silently, he decided it was worth the risk. About halfway through removing the screws that held the grate in place, he realized he was humming the Mission Impossible theme again.

He froze.

_Well, no one's shooting at me..._ he thought. _I guess it is safe after all._

He relaxed a little and lit up a chem light. In a few minutes, he dropped down into the room, which, in the green glow of the chem light, was obviously a janitor's closet. A half-formed joke poking fun at Cordy died in his mind when he heard footsteps approaching.

A long and tense minute passed as the footsteps passed the door and continued down the hall without pause. He waited for another twenty-count after the footsteps faded in the distanace before slipping out the door. He looked around and headed down the hall away from where the footsteps had gone.

It didn't take him long to find the Reeducation Center. This particular wing of the complex was largely deserted: None of the HIVE students wanted anything to do with the Reeducation Center if they could avoid it. The room sent a chill down his spine.

A steel chair surrounded by electrodes and other, less pleasant tools sat off to the side above a drain. The chair was crowned with a head rig and stained with something all-too-recognizable. In front of it was a screen, which was currently blank. An EEG machine and MRI were tucked in an opposite corner, and closed cabinets lined the walls, but the centerpiece of the room was a coffin-sized tube mounted on nested pivot rings. Valves allowed for hoses to attach to either end, but the hoses themselves lay on the ground.

"Welcome, Nighthawk!"

He spun and found himself looking at Brother Blood's face spread across a wall-screen.

"Congratulations on finding my Reeducation Center, boy. A little bird told me you'd be coming here, so I thought I'd leave this little message for you. I'd greet you in person, but I'm afraid I have more pressing matters to attend to. If you're wondering where Jinx is, she's with me at the combat training room, awaiting your friends' arrival."

"Why can't I ever actually surprise them?" Xander wondered sourly as he bolted from the room. "Mammoth, you asshole..."

* * *

The Stone hologram flickered and died as Cyborg stood over the the shattered remains of his robotic double. The Titans watched from within the force field Gizmo had trapped them in.

"I knew it!" Gizmo shrieked. "The stinking gack-bag is one of them!"

"No," Brother Blood said. "He's one of us now." He exerted his mind control and smiled.

"And I'm ready to prove it," Cyborg said.

"I had a feeling you'd say that," Blood held up the ion amplifier. "This will amplify your power by magnitudes unimagined." He attached the amplifier to Cyborg's arm. "Destroy them for me, and you'll have your reward."

Cyborg leveled the weapon at the Titans.

"Cyborg! No!" Robin cried out.

"Please!" Starfire begged.

"Come on, buddy!" Beast Boy pleaded. "We're your friends!"

"Sorry, but I have new friends," Cyborg said. He grinned and spun, "Psych!"

* * *

Xander skidded to a halt and stared at what awaited him in the combat training room. Brother Blood stood watching, with Jinx at his side, and Mammoth was nowhere to be seen. Cyborg had dropped his Stone identity and the entire charade. Beast Boy...

Beast Boy was fighting against the Titans?

"Well, well, look who's here," Blood's voice boomed, causing a break in the fight. "Jinx," he said, "kill him."

"Nuts."

* * *

Author's Note:

Yup. After so long, we have another annoying mid-chapter interruption.

* * *

"Damn it, Jinx, snap out of it!" Xander snarled as he dove to avoid another volley of hex blasts. _Think fast, Xander. What'll break the mind control?_

He drew his Colt and pointed it at Brother Blood, but just before he fired, a hex blast struck it, and the gun exploded.

"Hey, I liked that gun!" he snapped at Jinx angrily. She charged up more blasts. "Uh oh." He ducked.

He knew he was on the losing end -- again -- and not just because he wasn't willing to kill her just yet. The simple facts were: She could fly, and he couldn't.

Time to change that.

Xander fired his grappler, catching Jinx around the ankle, and pulled, sending her spinning around, out of control. Another good tug brought her head-first into his fist.

"Sorry about this."

WHAM!

She stumbled groggily, and he grabbed her arm to keep her from falling, "You yourself again?"

He took the hands reaching for his throat as a "no."

Reaching down to his belt, Xander pulled out his stungun and, wrenching her hands off of him, zapped her with about 200,000 volts. She shrieked, and Xander caught her as she feel, kneeling next to her.

"Jinx?" he murmured. "Jinx, talk to me."

She punched him in the chin, and he pinned her in place.

_Great,_ he thought. _Now what, genius? _ He couldn't kill her, not like this, and it was proving unusually difficult to knock her out. He couldn't just leave her like this either. He looked down at the attractive young witch struggling beneath him. There was a part of mind that... really didn't mind staying like this a little longer...

Then a thought struck him.

_Aww, hell,_ he thought. _It's worth a shot._

He leaned down and kissed her.

* * *

Terra dodged the green tyrannosaur tail of her mind-controlled boyfriend and growled as she watched the damage continue to mount, "Alright, that's enough." The ground beneath the green dinosaur suddenly heaved and slammed it into the wall of the room, head-first. The impact was hard enough to crack the wall, but Terra knew that dinosaurs -- especially Beast Boy dinosaurs -- had very hard heads. That wasn't going to stop him for long.

"No, you treacherous turncoat!" Brother Blood's outraged voice cut through the din of the battle. "I said 'kill him,' not 'kiss him'!"

Everyone turned and reacted different. Raven growled as her eye began to twitch. Starfire's jaw hung open. Robin similarly gaped. Raptor grinned.

For her part, Terra merely rolled her eyes. Walking up and wrenching Jinx off of Nighthawk, she pointed at Brother Blood and said bluntly, "Fight now. Kiss later."

"Thanks, Terra," Nighthawk said as he stood up. "We need to snap Beast Boy out of it, too."

Terra blinked as the implication processed, "No way! I'm not kissing a T-rex! I'm not that kinky."

"Try this," he handed her a crystal on a leather cord. "I keep it for any werewolves I meet. Suppresses shapeshifting for three nights a month."

Terra held up the cord, then looked at the T-rex shaking its head, then looked back at the cord, which was definitely not made to go around a T-rex's neck.

"You're kidding."

"Hey," Jinx broke in saucily. "Fight now. Argue later."

Terra glowered at her but returned to the battle. With a negligent flick of the wrist, she ripped a boulder out of the ground and sent it hurtling at Brother Blood.

"What is it with me and girls who can cause mass destruction?" Xander asked rhetorically.

From that point on, the fight was really, really one-sided.

* * *

"Raven," Robin said, surveying the wreckage. "Get us out of here."

"Thought you'd never ask," she said.

"Wait!" Jinx called, stepping toward them. Most of the Titans turned to face her. "I... I can't stay," she said. "Please... don't leave me behind."

Robin blinked, then smiled, "Wasn't planning on it."

Raven scowled but complied, teleporting them all to the Tower.

Beast Boy groaned as he clutched at his head, "Ohhh, what hit me?"

"I did," Nighthawk replied. "Sorry about that."

"I helped," Terra said, looking down apologetically. He frowned at the pair of them. "You were being mind-controlled, Beast Boy."

"Sorry I had to play rough with you guys," Cyborg said, holding up the ion amplifier, "but when I found out what this thing could do, I had to make Brother Blood trust me."

"But if all those HIVE kids were brainwashed, why not you?" Raven asked.

Cyborg pointed at the metallic half of his head, "Because half my brain is electronic. He may have been able to fool the man, but he couldn't fool the machine."

"Which means, next time we face him," Robin said, putting a hand on Cyborg's shoulder, "we have our own secret weapon." He turned to Jinx, "So, where do you go from here?"

"You tell me," she shot back, but there was a faint tremor in her voice. "I... I meant what I said. I can't go back. I won't go back."

"Robin," Xander whispered to the Boy Wonder, "if you'd seen what she'd gone through... it's a torture chamber." He looked up, "It's okay, Jinx. No matter what happens, I'm here for you."

Several minutes passed, and Robin finally stepped toward Jinx. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he said, "You risked your life to try and warn us, Jinx." Holding out something in his other hand, he said, "In my book, that makes you one of us."

Jinx's jaw dropped as he pressed the Titans communicator into her hands.

"Thank you," she smiled, tears leaking from her eyes.

"Don't thank me yet," he said, turning to leave. "You're still new. Consider youself on probation. Don't screw it up."

As the meeting broke up, Terra and Xander each threw an arm around Jinx's shoulders and began chatting her up, trying to make her feel at home.

The other Titans were less welcoming, and if Beast Boy occasionally shot the trio a suspicious look... well, that was only to be expected... right?

No one realized that it wasn't Jinx he was looking at.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Looks like there's trouble in paradise.


	55. 20: X Squared 0

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 20: X Squared (0/2) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and X for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Red X has returned, but who is behind the mask?

Author's Note: Once again, we've got a not-so-great, but necessary episode. Oh, well.

* * *

"It's simple. There is good... and there is evil. There are those who commit crimes... and those who stop them. The two sides are opposite... as different as day and night. And the line between them is clear. Or at least... it's supposed to be"  
--Robin, in relation to the Red X incident.

"Don't kid yourself, Robin. It's never that simple"  
--Nighthawk, in response to the above statement by Robin.

* * *

"Red X?" Beast Boy stared. "I thought Robin was Red X!"

The six Titans had followed the burglar into the high-security warehouse, through layers upon layers of what should have been impenetrable security, only to corner him here.

"Think again," Red X said, firing red crosses from his hands.

"Titans! Go!" Robin called.

The Titans scattered. The crosses embedded in the floor and began to explode in sequence. Raven shielded herself from the blast, and as she dropped the shield, she saw Red X charging toward her. She flung up another barrier, but before he hit it, he vanished. Something struck her legs, and she hit the ground. He flicked out another X, but a green bolt of energy blasted it out of his hand.

He somersaulted across the room, dodging the starbolts and rebounding off the far wall. Flipping over Starfire's head, he kicked her in the back. As she pursued him along the girders, he fired again, ricocheting his shots and bringing her down.

Beast Boy in pterodactyl form dove and turned into an orangutang. Red X shoved another X in his mouth, which expanded and wedged Beast Boy's mouth shut. He finally turned into a hippopotamus and rid himself of the obstruction... and fell from the I-beam he was standing on.

Red X turned and blasted at Cyborg, smashing him with a quartet of crates pulled together by the X he had fired. He turned and faced Raptor, who charged at him. Red X defended himself and then pinned her against the wall.

"You know, cutie," he said, tracing a finger along her chin, "the only crime here is that you and I haven't gone out on a-urk!"

He was interrupted by a knee to his armored crotch.

Looking up, he said, "Feisty! I like that."

Red X looked around and found himself surrounded. "Come on, kids," he said, pointing to the X on his chest. "X marks the spot."

Cyborg fired, Red X dodged that and leaped to the crate Raven was levitating, then dodged the starbolts that followed. Just as Beast Boy grabbed for him, he teleported again, to a crate behind them.

Robin tackled Red X, and they each landed in a crouch. Robin hurled a birdarang, but Red X teleported again, this time behind Robin. Robin sidestepped, dropped to the floor, and lashed out with both feet. Red X blocked the kick and used Robin's feet for leverage to send him somersaulting over the Boy Wonder. Red X dodged the next punch, then caught the one after that. He jumped into the air and kicked Robin, but the Boy Wonder caught his foot and flung him across the room into the wall.

Dashing over to him, Robin demanded, "Who are you?"

"If I wanted you to know that, would I be wearing a mask?" Red X snarked, before grabbing Robin's arm and sending a jolt of electricity into him.

* * *

"So, whaddaya think?" Jinx asked. "I mean, I'm no plain Jane, but there aren't that many J names out there, and I wanna stick close to that."

Xander looked at her thoughtfully, "How about Jennifer? Jenny for short?"

"I like that," she smiled at him, then blushed and looked down. "Jennifer Murphy."

"Good one," he grinned at the pun. His hands flew across the computer as he entered the name. The computer would handle the rest of creating an identity for her. The two of them -- and Terra, who was elsewhere in the Tower -- were off-duty for the night.

The ops center door opened, and they turned.

"Whoa," Xander blinked. "What happened to you guys?"

The six on-duty Titans were in a sad, bedraggled state. It was pretty obvious someone had worked them over pretty well, though none of them were sporting serious injuries; more than anything, they just looked supremely tired.

They all stared at him.

"What?" Xander asked. "What is it?"

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Finally, a new part.


	56. 20: X Squared 1

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 20: X Squared (1/2) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and X for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Red X has returned, but who is behind the mask?

Author's Note: Once again, we've got a not-so-great, but necessary episode. Oh, well.

* * *

"Red X was a mistake, a mistake I won't ever make again. I'm supposed to be one of the good guys. To always do the right thing. The line is supposed to be clear. But for me, back then, it wasn't. A madman was threatening the city, and I had to stop him. So I became Red X. A ruthless thief who could get closer to the madman than Robin ever could. But I didn't tell my teammates, and my plan didn't work. I almost lost my life... and my friends. It was the closest I've ever come to crossing the line. And I thought it was in the past. But now... someone else has crossed that line. And it's my job to stop him"  
--Robin, in relation to the Red X incident. 

"Quit the melodrama, Robin. We can point fingers later"  
--Nighthawk, in response to the above statement by Robin.

* * *

"So lemme get this straight," Xander said. "Robin creates the Red X identity and goes undercover without telling anyone -- never mind that that's only good sense -- someone steals his suit, and you guys think it's me?" 

"He was here with me the whole time," Jinx said.

"Riiight, like we're going to believe you?" Raven deadpanned.

Jinx rose, "Hey! You got a problem with me?"

"Forget it, Rae," Raptor snorted. "She's telling the truth. Not that I trust her any more than you do. He doesn't flirt with his slayers like that." She paused and added, "Or, at least, he never did with me. There were those rumors about a certain New Year's Eve..."

"Can it, Raptor."

"Okay, fine," she rolled her eyes. "Point is, if it were you, you'd've flirted with all three of us."

"If it was me, I'd know you would have known that, and I would have done something else to trip you up," Xander pointed out.

"Yeah, I know, Boss," Raptor nodded, "and they know that. But you know that too, and they know you know that-"

"I'm getting a headache," Beast Boy grumbled.

"Forget all the circumstantial evidence," Robin snapped. "Was it you or not, Nighthawk? How did you know about Red X?"

"The cartoon."

"Oh," the Boy Wonder said, rocking back on his heels. The Titans all shifted uncomfortably.

"And before you ask," he added, "no, I don't know who it is, but we already know what he's after. Don't we, Robin?"

Reluctantly, he nodded, "Xenothium. The fuel that powers the suit."

Starfire gasped.

"No!" Raven said.

Beast Boy stormed off, "Aw, man, I never understand anything!"

"Xenothium?" Cyborg blurted out. "You powered that suit with xenothium? Are you crazy, man? That stuff is dangerous! And unstable! Tell me you were not stupid enough to go messing with it!"

Robin ground his teeth and snorted, "Like I said, it was a mistake." He brought up the schematics of the device Red X had stolen, "The scanner Red X stole will locate any xenothium within a ten-mile radius.

"So we must locate it first," Starfire said.

"X isn't the only one with a scanner," Cyborg spoke from the computer as finished the adjustments. "I'm downloading the molecular signature and transmitting to your communicators."

"Thanks," Robin said, already walking toward the ops center door. "But I won't need it."

"How are you gonna find the xenothium without a scanner?" Cyborg asked.

"The same way I found it the first time."

Xander rose, "Well, I guess that's my cue."

"Where are you going?" Terra asked.

He looked at her, then looked back at the door, then looked back at her again. Pointing at the door, he said, "I'm following him, of course."

Raptor hopped to her feet, but he didn't even look back, "You stay here and coordinate with the others, Raptor. I'm flying solo on this one."

Raptor started, "That's..."

"Crazy!" Jinx broke in.

"Reckless!" Terra offered.

"Stupid!" Raven put forth.

Raptor blinked at them, "I was gonna say 'unusual,' but that works. Why the lone wolf act, Boss? You've got no stake in this."

"No," Xander said, "but Robin does."

* * *

"Professor Chang," Robin said. "Remember me?" 

"Ah. The good little boy who likes dangerous toys," Chang giggled. "How could I forget?"

"Xenothium. Where do you get it?" Robin demanded.

"Nowhere. Suppliers skipped town months ago. That stuff... there's no way to get any. Unless..."

"Talk!" Robin shook the high-tech weapons dealer.

"There's a tech company on the south end. Legend has it that they keep a generous supply of xenothium ore in their vault. But it's not for sale... and it's locked up tight. You'd have to steal it."

"Not interested," Robin tosses Chang to the floor and leaped away. "But I know someone who is."

Up above, unseen by either of them, Nighthawk watched and activated his communicator, "Terra? I need you to wait at these coordinates for my signal."

* * *

"I don't need a babysitter," Jinx glowered at Raptor. "Heck, I could be out there, helping!" 

"What part of 'we don't trust you' is so hard to understand?" Raptor snapped back irritably. "I don't much like this, either. If the Boss hadn't called Terra in, she'd be here, and I'd be out there."

"He trusts me!"

Raptor leaned in close, "Maybe, but he's not the one calling the shots right now."

* * *

Cyborg scanned the dockside warehouses. Giving one last sweep, he activated his communicator, "West side's clean. You guys find anything yet? 

/Thus far, my search has been unsuccessful/ Starfire replied.

/What she said/ Beast Boy replied.

/Ditto/ Raven chimed in.

/Titans!./ Robin broke in. /I know where Red X is going to strike. Sending coordinates./

"On my way," Cyborg said. Something caught his eye, and he looked over, "Huh?"

The energy blast hit him before he could react.

* * *

"So, you're pretty much kicking yourself for not getting rid of that Red X suit when you had the chance, huh?" Beast Boy said. 

Robin did not deign to respond.

Beast Boy chuckled neverously, "Uh, forget I said anything."

"I couldn't destroy it," Robin said. "The xenothium power core is too dangerous to dispose of. It was supposed to stay locked away."

Raven emerged, "No sign of Red X.

"Nor of Cyborg, Nighthawk, or Terra," Starfire said as she landed.

"I'm here," Nighthawk's voice came from behind them.

Beast Boy jumped, "Dude! Don't do that!"

"Terra's keeping an eye on something for me," Nighthawk said, ignoring the green shapeshifter's surprise.

"Oh?" Beast Boy's eyes narrowed. "On what?"

"Need to know, BB," he said, "and you don't need to know."

Beast Boy growled.

Robin turned on his communicator, "Cyborg! Report! Cyborg!" After a moment, he lowered his communicator and looked at Nighthawk, "X must have attacked him. If Cyborg's hurt, it's my fault."

Nighthawk said nothing.

"Robin..." Starfire said.

Robin turned away from Nighthawk, "I'm responsible, Starfire, for everything that's happened."

"No, Robin," she said. "The error you made, it is in the past. You are no longer the one inside that suit."

"And personally, I think it looks much cooler on me," Red X broke in, just before hurling a barrage of Xs.

"Move!" Robin cried.

* * *

Author's Postscript: 

Okay, folks, this is starting to get annoying. It seems every time I post an episode prologue, I get someone on complaining that it's too short.

If it's got a zero in parentheses in the Title line, it's a prologue, and guess what, people? Prologues are short. Deal with it. Sheesh. I generally try to keep the actual episode chapters roughly equal in length, but aside from that, nothing -- I repeat, NOTHING -- is going to make me write chapters or prologues that are longer -- or shorter -- than the episode and plot demand. Period. Full stop. Exclamation point.

I write fanfiction for my own enjoyment, and not just a little bit because I like getting reviews, but the only thing that pisses me off as much as someone stopping by exclusively to rip a story from an extremely biased point of view -- something that's only happened once, thank God -- is someone complaining about a story or chapter without even bothering to tell me whether they liked it or not. It's one thing to ask for more; it's entirely another to bitch at me because you think a particular part is too short.

You know who you are.


	57. 20: X Squared 2

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 20: X Squared (2/2) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and X for Teen Titans.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: Red X has returned, but who is behind the mask?

Author's Note: Once again, we've got a not-so-great, but necessary episode. Oh, well.

* * *

"There is good... and there is evil. But the line between them can be almost impossible to find. Does one good deed make him a hero? Am I to blame for all of it because of a single mistake? In the end, all I really know is that the answers don't come easy. It's supposed to be simple... but it's not"  
--Robin, in relation to the Red X incident. 

"Well, whaddaya know. You can be taught"  
--Nighthawk, in response to the above statement by Robin.

"Shut up, Nighthawk"  
--Robin, in response to the above statement by Nighthawk.

* * *

Robin carefully crept down the darkened hallway. After losing track of Red X, he had ordered the Titans to split up, and he was now beginning to wonder if that had been a mistake. He looked up as he heard a scream from elsewhere in the building. 

"Starfire?" he muttered. _Definitely a mistake,_ he concluded as he bolted in the direction he heard the scream.

"What's the matter, kid?" came Red X's voice from behind him. "Don't you want to play? After all, they're your toys."

Robin ducked the thrown X blades, which flew into a computer console behind him. Behind Red X, the vault door opened, revealing the laser network within. As Robin rose, Red X leaped into the room, expertly weaving between the lasers. Robin charged into the room after him, and threaded his way through the lasers with equal skill and agility, following Red X down a shaft.

Red X fired something from his hand that deactivated the force field in the shaft just long enough for him to fall through. It went back up just as Robin reached it, smacking into it as Red X continued on his way.

* * *

Robin advanced carefully down the hallway at the bottom of the shaft. It was dark, and he could see very little. Suddenly, a light turned on, catching his attention. He headed for the door and found a room with black floor tiles. There was only one other door in the room, at the far end. 

"After you," Red X's voice came from behind him.

Before he could even turn, Robin was shoved onto the tiles. He looked around and saw the tiles lighting up in two lines that intersected beneath him...

He looked up. There was a massive laser swinging into place. He moved, dodging his way to the far door, but just as he got there, Red X -- having used him to decoy the laser -- slipped through the door ahead of him.

"Thanks for the hand, kid," Red X said as he closed the door between them.

* * *

"Xenothium ore," Red X admired his prize. He punched in a command and retrieved the sample vial. "Enough to power the suit for a good long time," he muttered as he opened one of the larger containers. "I love it when the good guy wins. 

Suddenly, he turned as the door behind him rumbled and shook. A laser beam sliced through the wall around the door from the other side, and as it tumbled over, he gaped beneath his mask at who stood there. It was Robin, holding the ceiling laser in his arms.

"You're not going to win," Robin declared.

"Kid, you are taking life way too seriously," Red X said as Robin charged.

They fought, and after a moment, their weapons locked together.

"Why did you steal the suit?" Robin demanded. "What are you planning to do?"

"Whatever I want," Red X replied as he dropped back and flipped Robin. "Not everybody likes to play the big villain, kid. I'm a thief. I'm not threatening your precious city, just looking out for number one."

"So you're not psychotic. You're just selfish."

Red X chuckled, "Lighten up, Chuckles." He raised his hands, preparing to fire, "I'm not such a bad guy, once you get to know me." He fired.

After a few more seconds of combat, Robin had knocked the container from Red X's hands. Red X bolted for it and stopped by the entrance. His finger hovering over a button on his belt, he said, "Playtime's over, kid. Back off... or I trip the power core. And the core triggers the rocks. I don't think you want that on your conscience."

Robin raised his birdarang, "And I don't think you want to be disintegrated."

The stand-off continued until Red X noticed Robin staring past him. He turned and took a blast to chest. Moments later, another blast struck Robin. The attackers -- wearing some sort of radiation or biohazard suits -- began to strip the vault of xenothium

"The xenothium!" Robin groaned.

//Yes,// Professor Chang's voice emerged from the video communicator the thieves left behind. //And I do so appreciate it.//

"Chang!"

//Since you two were doing the break-in, I decided to cash in. I'm sick of selling to bad boys. I'm ready to be one. And now that I finally have enough xenothium to power my disintegrator cannon, I can be very, very bad.//

"I won't let you get away with this!"

//Oh, I think you will... because, my good little boy, I didn't just steal the ore.// The screen panned around, revealing Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire, Raven, and Nighthawk trapped in cylindrical glass tanks. //I stole your friends. Stay out of this, or I'll test my cannon on them!//

* * *

"You don't even care, do you?" Robin snarled at Red X, having locked him in the security cage in the vault. "A lowlife maniac just got his hands on enough xenothium to disintegrate the entire city, and it's your fault!" 

"Don't you mean 'our fault'?"

"At least I'm going to do something about it. And if you cared about anything other than yourself, you'd be helping!"

"Sorry, kid. Some guys don't like to play the hero."

"I'll be back to take you to jail."

* * *

"Okay, good boy," Chang glowered at Robin, who had already defeated his minions and caused his first shot to miss and was now dangling precariously from a railing, "who should I destroy first? You... or your pretty friend?" He aimed the disintegrator at... 

"Starfire!"

Suddenly, something flew in and sliced the lever off.

"Huh?" Chang blinked.

More red X blades flew into the control panel, causing electricity to arc out from it. As Robin's grip finally slipped, Red X dashed across, grabbing him and depositing on an undamaged section of the walkway.

"I thought you didn't like to play the hero."

"Doesn't mean I don't know how."

That's when the earthquake started.

* * *

As the JCPD carted away Chang and his thugs, Xander cracked his neck as he looked at Terra, "You didn't wait for my signal." 

"Well, excuse me," she shot back, "but you were frozen. You didn't look like you were in any position to give it."

"Who do you think I am? Batman? I wasn't complaining. You cut it a little close, though. Chang nearly fried Star."

"I was waiting for your signal."

Xander shook his head.

"Why?" Robin asked.

Xander looked over at him, "Why what?"

"You knew Chang had that disintegrator," Robin said. "You could have stopped him before he even got the xenothium to power it, but you didn't. Why?"

"If I'd done that, I'd have stopped him for now, but he'd just build another one. This way, the cops have something to charge him with. He won't be building anymore disintegrators behind bars."

There was a long pause.

"I've misjudged you," Robin said.

"How so?"

"I would have expected you to kill him."

"I walk a fine line, Robin, one he won't let you near," Xander replied, his voice low.

"So?"

"So, the only reason I haven't crossed it yet is because I didn't have a Bat to teach me where it was. Because I can never allow myself to become complacent about how close I am to it." He turned away, "If I ever cross it, Dick, it won't be by accident."

* * *

As the Titans returned to the Tower, Beast Boy caught Xander and Terra's attention. 

"We need to talk," he growled. They blinked, looked at each other, shrugged, and followed him to the roof.

* * *

Beast Boy was about five minutes into his rant when he paused to catch his breath, an opportunity Xander seized. 

"Are you quite done making a complete fool of yourself?"

Beast Boy blinked, caught off-guard, "Huh?"

Scowling, Terra walked up to Beast Boy and smacked him upside the head, then grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him into a deep kiss.

"But... but..." Beast Boy stammered when she finally let him go.

"He's my friend, Beast Boy," she snapped. "Of course I was worried about him. Robin made him second in command. Of course I listened to him."

"After what he did?!"

"That's sweet, BB," she said, stroking his face. "It really is. But I don't need you to be a knight in shining armor and defend my honor. Really."

"There is something vaguely weird about this..." Xander muttered, shaking his head.

"Are you calling her weird?"

Terra smacked him again, "Are you trying to be dense? Knowing him, he's probably been in your shoes more than once."

Xander blinked, "Are you telepathic, too, Terra?"

"And if I was?" she shot back.

"Hmm," Xander mused. After a long moment spent picturing something involving him, Terra, a distinct lack of clothing, and a large quantity of whipped cream, he said, "Well, you haven't smacked me yet, so I guess you're not."

She smacked him.

* * *

Author's Postscript: 

Next episode might take a while, but it's gonna be a doozy.


	58. 21: Future Flashback 1

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 21: Future Flashback (1/6) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and... heck if I know for Teen Titans, though it's set right after the events of Betrothed.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: The arrival of a future Bat heralds a final confrontation.

Author's Note: We're... off to future Gotham, the dismal future of Gotham...

* * *

They walked the streets of Gotham City with impunity. The cops were no match for them, and there was no one else who had the guts to stand up to them. They were the Jokerz. They ruled Gotham.

Or so they thought.

Just as the couple shrank away from the Jokerz, a shadowy figure imposed itself between them and the hoodlums.

"Nice night for a walk," Batman said. "Now start walking while you still can."

"Batman?" one of the Jokerz blinked.

"No way!"

"Get 'im!"

They charged, and the red-and-black-clad figure suddenly wondered at the wisdom of confronting them openly like this. Before the thoughts could distract Batman further, the first Joker was upon him.

He ducked under the first Joker's baseball bat and straight-armed him in the gut, then pivoted his arm to the side, using and redirecting his momentum to send him crashing into the wall. The next one, wielding a chain, successfully wrapped it around Batman's wrist, only be pulled off balance. As he fell, his face was met by Batman's knee.

Two of the last three Jokerz stepped forward. One was a girl wielding a spike-studded rubber chicken, while the other was a big man sporting brass knuckles. They charged, and Batman staggered as the rubber chicken slammed into his side, but he grabbed it and pulled, twisting around and yanking the female Joker into the path of her larger companion, who barely avoided tumbling over her. As it was, he lumbered to a halt just in time for Batman to shoot to his feet and land a paralyzing strike to the side of the neck.

Batman turned to the last Joker, who had pulled out a gun and was holding it shakily.

Batman's eyes narrowed.

"Boo."

The last Joker dropped the gun and ran. He didn't outrun the batarang.

* * *

Batman crept into the Batcave and pulled off the mask, revealing a distinctly feminine face with brown eyes and framed with dark hair. She stripped out of the Batsuit and carefully placed it back in the glass case, just as the lights switched on. She spun.

Busted.

"Tara," Bruce said warningly, "what do you think you're doing?"

Bruce Wayne stood at the bottom of the stairs leading up to Wayne Manor. Next to him was a woman who could almost be her twin, if it weren't for the hair style, eyes, and age difference. It was her mother.

"Gotham needs Batman, old man," Tara Wayne said evenly.

"Batman belongs in that case, doing nothing more than collecting dust."

"I'll steal it again if I have to," she said adamantly.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Bruce's face darkened.

"C'mon!" she snapped. "You did it! Dad did it! Why stop me?"

"Things were different then."

Tara snorted, "You sound like Chief Gordon."

"Tara..."

"No!" she snarled. "You're not my father! You won't even talk about him! Why should I listen to you?" She stormed past them and up the stairs.

Bruce's gaze followed her for a long moment, and he sighed, "Talia, how did you two do this? It was so much easier with Dick and Tim."

"Do not ask me, Beloved," she said, speaking for the first time since the confrontation began. "My husband had a way with children."

"I'm sure he did."

Talia looked across the Batcave, then at Bruce, "Why are you so upset, Beloved? Every night, you go to the Batcave, you make sure everything is ready to use, so why? You seem as if... you are waiting for something."

"I am."

"You have been waiting for Tahra to do this."

"No, I haven't," he said, shaking his head. The misunderstanding was understandable. "When I first met Nighthawk... Xander, he told me something. He told me that the next Batman would come twenty years after I quit, and that he would need my help."

"He told you of the future?"

"Yes, and he made it quite clear that the next Bat would be male, and it's only been fifteen years since I hung up the cape."

"But that was the future of a world in which he did not exist. A world where our daughter could not exist."

Bruce's eyes narrowed, "You mean your daughter."

"Bruce..." she said, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"You lost your first husband to a costumed life, Talia. Do you want to lose your daughter too? She's all you have left of him."

Talia recoiled at that. After a moment, she looked away, "That was unkind, Beloved, and you know it. I will not dictate my daughter's life to her as mine was... and neither will I allow you to use my husband's memory against us."

"It may be unkind, but it's true."

"It was the costumed life he led that led me to him, Beloved," she said, meeting his gaze, a challenging look in her eyes.

"And if we allow this, it will be a costumed life that will lead her back to him, Talia, straight into the grave." He unconsciously reached up and rubbed his chest, "I was lucky, a minor heart attack took that life away from me, but she may not be so lucky, Talia."

Talia shook her head, "It was not your heart that failed you, Beloved. It was your will."

"Unlike his?" he snarled. After a long pause, he said, "I've seen much in my life, Talia, perhaps too much, but what I have seen tells me that your daughter is not meant for the life I once led."

"Neither was my husband," she pointed out, "and yet, he thrived in it until his last breath. If that is my daughter's will, I will not counter it, Beloved."

"Don't call me that."

"What?" Talia blinked in surprise at the harshness in his voice.

"I go to the Batcave every night," he said, "but don't think I don't know what you do each night."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, "I honor the man who saved my life, my mind... my soul. You saw the message as well as I, Bruce. He did it for us."

"'Us'? Or you?"

Talia started... and looked away.

* * *

Gabriel Logan, aka Geo, was a large young man. He stood 6'1" and had a greenish tinge to his skin and green-blond hair. With his ability to alter his physical structure to mimic any mineral substance, he was a valuable member of the Justice League Unlimited. He was on his way to the Watchtower's cafeteria to get a midnight snack when he saw someone where there shouldn't have been anyone.

"Hold it right there," he said, placing his hand on the intruder's shoulder. "Who are you and..." He blinked when he recognized the intruder, "Batman?"

"Geo?" Tara pulled off the mask. "Gabe, it's me."

"Tare, what are you doing in the Watchtower?" he asked. "With the Batsuit even?"

"I need to use Timecode's time machine."

"What?" he stared and shook his head. "No way. Uh uh. C'mon, Tara. Your father-..."

"He's NOT my father!"

He rocked back on his heels, "So that's what this is about."

"I just want to know who he was, Gabe," she said with a tired sigh.

After a long moment, he heaved a resigned sigh, "Fine."

"'Fine'?" she blinked in surprise.

"Yes, fine," he growled. "Remember the last time I tried to change your mind?"

"Umm..."

"You dyed my hair pink."

"Ohhh, right. Now I remember."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Sorry, guys, but no happy ending for Bruce just yet.

About "Tahra," that's not a typo. Talia just pronounces Tara's name distinctively.


	59. 21: Future Flashback 2

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 21: Future Flashback (2/6) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and... heck if I know for Teen Titans, though it's set right after the events of Betrothed.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: The arrival of a future Bat heralds a final confrontation.

Author's Note: Ahh, more fun with Xander's future.

* * *

"I will break you, little girl."

"Ooh, wow," Raptor deadpanned. "I'm shaking in my boots." She pointed to her feet mockingly, "See me shaking?"

The massive earthquake had left Jump City in shambles, and the Titans were doing their best to help out with the rescue operations. Terra had managed to divert the worst of the earthquake away from the city, but there were consequences. There had been only one place she could divert the earthquake without putting more innocent civilians in danger.

Out to sea.

Where Jump City's maximum security prison was.

Terra was trying to shore up the prison's structural integrity, while Beast Boy was helping put out fires. Lucky Raptor was tasked with rounding up any escapees.

Including Bane.

"I was weakened when last we fought, little girl," Bane sneered. "I will not lose to you again."

"What? Do you get off on getting your ass handed to you?" she taunted with a feral grin, dropping into a crouch. "Well, c'mon, then. Let's party."

* * *

Beast Boy returned to human form, exhausted, and Terra caught him as he collapsed. Using her powers to provide a convenient bench, she sat him down and sat next to him. The fires had been extinguished, and the prison -- while now sporting uncut stone and odd angles -- was now once again secure and no longer in danger of falling into the ocean.

"I'm beat," he murmured. "I don't even want to try standing again."

She grinned, "Well, don't worry about tha-"

"Raptor!" Beast Boy suddenly surged to his feet.

"Huh?" Terra turned and saw Raptor, facing off against...

Bane.

"No."

Suddenly, what her future self had implied about Beast Boy's fate rushed to the forefront of her mind, and fear overrode everything else.

"We've got to help her!" Beast Boy said, starting to charge toward the fight.

"No!" Terra shrieked, grabbing him by the shoulder and yanking him back, off-balance. "You're... you're..." she stammered, clutching for an excuse, any excuse. "We're exhausted, Beast Boy," she said finally. "We won't do her any good in our condition."

Except... he seemed surprisingly fatigue-free right now. She frowned at the thought. Was it because... of Raptor?

No, that was silly. Of course, it was because of Raptor -- he had been practically dead on his feet a moment ago -- but Raptor was a friend. Beast Boy would act like this for any of the Titans.

"Besides," she added, "Raptor beat him before. We'd only get in the way."

"But..."

Beast Boy was interrupted by a black shape hurtling through the air overhead, trailing flames and smoke behind it. It was headed straight for Bane.

* * *

"Who is that?" Robin wondered rhetorically. Raptor was dragging an unconscious Bane back to the prison, and accompanying her was a slender woman in an all-concealing black and red costume. Splashed across the chest of the costume in vibrant red was the Bat symbol, slightly more slender and longer from wing tip to wing tip than Robin was used to. He remembered seeing the costume before, in his little jaunt to the future, but obviously not worn by the same person.

"Dunno," Nighthawk replied unexpectedly. "But that outfit she's wearing looks like the future Batsuit."

Robin's head whipped around in confusion, "How did you...?" Then he remembered, "Oh, right."

As the two girls walked up, Raptor negligently tossed Bane to the prison guards and grinned, "Hey, Boss. Check out the Batchick. If it weren't for her, I'd've had to get serious." Her face sobered a little as she massaged her arm, "And I mean really serious, Boss. That Venom shit packs a punch."

Xander nodded and looked at the Batsuited new arrival, sizing her up surreptitiously, "So, is it Batgirl? Batwoman? What brings you back in time?"

Her jaw dropped, "'Back in'...? How did you...?"

"Subtlety, thy name is Nighthawk," Robin grumbled.

"I know many things," Xander smirked.

Batwoman -- as Xander decided to think of her to avoid confusion with the still-active present-day Batgirl -- shook her head and said, "I... it... it's complicated." Xander noted with more than a little curiousity that her voice seemed about ready to break. Abruptly, he realized she was on the verge of crying. Before he could move to try and comfort her, she asked, "Can we go somewhere private?"

Xander and Robin exchanged a look, and Robin nodded, "Sure. Raven?"

At her cue, the half-demoness raised her cloak. "All aboard the Raven Express," she quipped.

Everyone gave her a very strange look, and she blushed a little, "What?"

"Nothing," Xander shook his head, smiling.

Raven teleported them to the Tower, and as they all arranged themselves comfortably in the Operations Center/living room, Xander asked, "So, what's your story?"

"Umm, well..." Batwoman hesitated. Finally, she pulled off her mask and threw herself at him, hugging him fiercely, tears streaming from her eyes. "Hi, Dad. I'm Tara."

Reactions were... varied.

"All right," Raptor said. "Pay up."

Cyborg grumbled and handed her a ten-spot.

* * *

Elsewhere, a man watched the occasion on a monitor. Although the monitor provided no sound, he was intelligent enough to put together what he saw.

The resemblance was striking.

Well, this was fortuitous.

It was an opportunity they could not afford to miss.

* * *

Predictably, Starfire, Raven, and Jinx were a combination of worried and hopeful as they waited to learn who Tara's mother was.

Robin chuckled.

Terra was blushing a little. _Why would Xander name his daughter after me?_ she wondered. That she was completely mistaken was completely understandable.

Beast Boy was frowning, wondering the same thing.

For his part, Xander was simply stunned, though a small part of him was a little surprised at her name. He would have thought he'd name his daughter after Joy- Buffy's mom, all things considered. Maybe Tara's mom didn't like that name.

Tara stood up, schooled her expression, and said, "Sorry. I'm... well, I guess you could call me the future Batgirl. My name is Tara Wayne."

Suddenly, all the pieces fell into place in Xander's mind, and his jaw dropped, "Oh, crap. You're Talia's daughter." He began nodding furiously as the the facts went through his internal Murphy's Law filter, "And Bruce must have killed me and married her."

Tara blinked, "Err... not quite."

"Huh?"

"It was my grandfather. You kind of... killed each other."

Xander frowned, "Ra's? He didn't approve? Strange. Last time I saw him, he was practically throwing her at me."

He idly wondered why the room suddenly seemed to chill.

"Not quite what I meant," Tara muttered, feeling a little embarrassed for her father's sake.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

He can be really dense, sometimes, can't he?

Okay, a lot of times.


	60. 21: Future Flashback 3

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 21: Future Flashback (3/6) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and... heck if I know for Teen Titans, though it's set right after the events of Betrothed.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: The arrival of a future Bat heralds a final confrontation.

Author's Note: Ahh, more fun with Xander's future.

* * *

Gurgling blood, the assassin clutched uselessly at his throat and collapsed.

"Are you all right?" the young man asked, turning toward his companion.

She nodded. "Yes, I..." she trailed off as she looked up at him.

"Come on," he said brusquely. "We need to keep moving."

* * *

It was morning in Titans Tower, and Tara Wayne was happy to have finally met her father. She stepped out of the guest room... and blinked in surprise.

"Uh, what's going on?"

Almost all the Titans were waiting there. All except...

Oh, no.

"Do you know what this is about?" Robin asked, holding up a note.

Tara accepted the note and read it, then shook her head, "Not a clue. I don't really know anything about Dad. No one ever talks about him."

The note was short, concise, to the point, and appropriately cryptic. Which meant that it was pretty straightforward in not actually saying anything: "Hey, all. Sorry, something came up. Got to go. Don't know when I'll be back. Don't wait up. Tara, sorry to cut the reunion short. I love you. Later."

She felt her eyebrow begin to twitch. "Let me see his room," she said. An exchange of glances and shrugs later, Robin nodded, and they led her to her father's room.

Tara looked around. It was a chaotic mess. Finding a clue in here would be like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Still, there was something...

She frowned, "Someone else was in here."

"What?" Cyborg blinked. "No way. Who could get through the Tower's security?"

Plucking a tissue out of the wastebasket, she said, "Unless Dad wears lipstick, someone else was in here."

"Oh, um..." Jinx broke in, blushing. "That was me. I snuck in, kissed him, and he kinda kicked me out. That was around eleven, eleven thirty."

It was a good thing for Jinx that, like her, the other girls were still a little in shock over Tara's very existence, otherwise Jinx's existence would have been jeopardy.

"Oh," Tara blinked. "Still..." she frowned and sniffed carefully. "Lilacs and... sandalwood." She closed her eyes as she felt a headache coming, "Oh, no. Mom."

Robin stared. "You can smell her?"

"Remember who I was raised by?"

"...right."

* * *

For the moment, they were safe. Xander peered through the window, eyes scanning the area. It was a small apartment, the furnishings plain but solid, and with hints of a higher financial scale than was typical of the apartment complex.

"Are you sure we're safe here?"

"As sure as I can be," Talia al Ghul replied. "This is one of my father's private safehouses. I suspect he was staying here before he disappeared."

That, incidentally, had been why Talia had suddenly appeared in Xander's room -- _Seriously need to add more locks,_ he thought -- at one o'clock in the morning. Her father had come to Jump City to investigate rumors of a conspiracy against him within the Society of Shadows and had promptly disappeared. She was to meet him yesterday, but he was missing.

When the assassins showed up, she sought the nearest help she could think of: Xander.

_Jinx and Talia in one night,_ he thought. _I wonder how many more dangerous girls are gonna find their way into my bedroom? _ He considered that thought for a moment and groaned, _Shit. I just jinxed myself._

At the pun, his libido decided to show him just how "Jinxed" he could be, if he were to try. It took him close to half a minute to shake off the mental images... only to have them replaced with thoughts -- and memories -- of the young woman with him now.

_God hates me. That has to be it._ He looked up, _That's why you never gave me that aneurism, isn't it? You're having too much fun._

"Husband, are you well?"

Xander winced and shot her a plaintive look, "Could you please not call me that?" He looked away again as his libido reminded him just what was concealed beneath her clothing.

"Very well, Alexander," she acquiesced.

Xander winced again. Intellectually, he knew the hurt in her voice was almost certainly an affectation, but...

"Please, call me Xander," he said. "All my friends do, unless they're pissed at me. Or, y'know, I'm in costume, and we're in public."

Which he wasn't. He was actually wearing civilian gear, with most of his surprises stashed away in a slightly different manner, since spandex and a cape would draw far more attention than he'd like.

She smiled warmly, and Xander was hard-pressed not to flush as she said, "Does that make us friends, then, Xander?"

He nodded silently, swallowing hard. The last thing he needed was to open his mouth while his brain was disengaged. There were good odds he'd make some half-assed comment about "his girls," and that would be a disaster waiting to happen.

She wouldn't get violent or angry -- he knew her well enough to realize that -- but she would demand an explanation. A good one. And considering he had over a year's worth of teenage hormones building up and that she was not only drop-dead gorgeous but also literally the only available woman who was both willing and old enough to not make him feel like a pervert...

Yeah, providing a coherent explanation for that would be a little difficult.

It should also be noted that he was absolutely terrified that he might at some point be required to go up to the new Watchtower space station. True, it was still under construction, and the JLU technically didn't exist yet, but Xander was pretty sure they would soon. He had pegged his arrival in this universe having occurred during the reconstruction period between Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, and the new Watchtower was almost complete. He figured they were less than a week away from the formation of the JLU.

There would be over fifty superheroes headquartered up there. True, not all would actually live up there, but most would. And while the male to female ratio wasn't weighted on the female side, the women who would join JLU were, without exception, beautiful and, with perhaps one exception in Gypsy, fond of revealing outfits.

And damn it, he had renounced spandex.

Shaking off that distressing thought -- and the last surge of hormones -- he explored the safehouse more carefully, finally halting at the writing desk. He studied it with a carpenter's eye and nodded approvingly. It was well-built, made of mahogany, with a hinged cover that doubled as a writing surface and three drawers below.

Idly taking rough measurements in the back of his mind on the desk, Xander started to open the drawers but came across nothing unusual.

Except...

He reached his hand into the top drawer, gently exploring with his fingers. Something was off about the measurements, and unless he missed his guess...

Click.

He popped the hidden latch and felt the familiar weight of a sword hilt drop into his hand.

"Handy, that," he murmured as he pulled the sword -- a scimitar -- from the drawer.

"How did you know?" Talia asked, her face twisted in confusion.

"I'm a carpenter," he replied off-handedly. "Measurements didn't add up." He set the sword aside, "Nifty as that is, though, it's not gonna help us figure out what's going on."

Turning his attention back to the top of the desk, his gaze was drawn to a notepad, which proved devoid of markings after a flip through it. He frowned and looked up. After a moment, he saw what he was looking for.

He opened the pencil sharpener and carefully shook the lead shavings out onto the notepad. Gently tapping it to shake off the excess, he smiled as he saw the name revealed by the lead shavings that rested within the impressions made when an earlier sheet had been written on. He recognized the name, but only vaguely, and he was pretty sure the man had not appeared in the animated series back home.

"So," he asked, "who's Ebenezer Darrk?"

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Which is a darn good question, since all I know about the guy came from his VS card and Wikipedia's entry on the League of Assassins...


	61. 21: Future Flashback 4

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 21: Future Flashback (4/6) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and... heck if I know for Teen Titans, though it's set right after the events of Betrothed.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: The arrival of a future Bat heralds a final confrontation.

Author's Note: Ahh, more fun with Xander's future.

* * *

"What is that?" Robin asked.

Batgirl -- Tara Wayne -- frowned, "I don't know."

"It's Scooby code," Raptor said.

"'Scooby code'?" they turned and stared at her.

She nodded, "Yeah. Boss came up with it, made it standard for the new Council." She pointed, "See that? Says he's walking into an ambush, but he thinks he can handle it." She pointed at another symbol, "Possible sacrifice to rescue." Another, "Possible ambush on us."

"I'm not sure what worries me more," Robin said slowly. "That this is apparently normal for you or the fact that it seems to work."

"What's it based on?" Batgirl asked, frowning.

"The true language of warriors," Raptor grinned.

"It's Klingon," Raven stared. "Well... abbreviated Klingon, anyway."

Beast Boy stared at her, "Raven? Since when can you read Klingon?"

She shrank back and blushed.

"Ooh," Raptor's grin turned lascivious. "Trek-a-thon with the Boss, huh? Gettin' serious."

Raven tried to hide in her cloak. Starfire pouted. Jinx glowered.

Both Jinx and Starfire vowed to get Xander alone for some Trek time... among other things.

* * *

"How can you possibly take the time to make plans for a desk, hus- Xander?" Talia demanded incredulously.

"It's a nice bit of construction, Talia," he replied as he made a few special notations on the sheet of paper. "And you did say this place was safe."

_Three... two... one..._

CRASH!

Talia whirled as the figures burst in through the windows, and Xander rose, drawing the scimitar he had found in the desk's concealed compartment.

_Right on schedule._

There was a rhythm to these things, after all. A certain minimum frequency required to keep them on their toes, and given that this was almost certainly another elaborate scheme Ra's cooked up...

Well, that made the timing predictable.

* * *

"This one's dead," Robin said, getting up from where he had knelt by the assassin's body to feel for a pulse, only to find himself pressing against an open wound in the corpse's throat.

"I don't think there's much hope for this one either," Tara deadpanned, gesturing at where the other one lay sprawled on his back, a scimitar embedded through his sternum, pinning him to the floor.

"With this mess, it'll take forever to find any clues," Robin muttered sourly.

"Don't bet your sweet ass on that, Wonder Boy," Raptor said. She paused, then purred, "On second thought, if you really want to, I'll take that bet."

Robin gulped, coughed, then said, "What'd you find?"

"This," she said, holding up the sheet of paper.

Robin took it and puzzled over it for a moment, frowning, "I don't get it. A sketch of a desk design?"

"Not that," Raptor snorted. She pointed, "That."

Robin peered, and his training under the World's Greatest Detective began to show, "Janus, Hecate, and Artemis, along with more of that Scooby code. What's it mean?"

Raptor smiled, "It means he's got a plan, and it's telling us our part."

"Which is...?"

"Go back to the Tower, relax, and pretend we're not worried... until we get a signal. I'll know what it is."

Raven peered at the Klingon symbols, frowning. She couldn't quite piece it together, but with the Janus and Artemis symbols... she had an idea.

She nodded, "Agreed."

That's when the rest of the Titans decided to weigh in.

They spent the next two hours arguing about it.

* * *

Xander stood in the underground chamber, next to Talia. Somehow, he wasn't surprised it would end up here.

Well, perhaps not here specifically, but in this sort of place. They were where Dr. Ebenezer Darrk was supposedly headquartered, in one of the many underground Lazarus Pit chambers.

This was Ra's al Ghul. It always ended near a Lazarus Pit.

_Why not some place like Club Med instead? Just once? Fun, sun, girls in bikinis? What was wrong with that?_

Of course, that line of thinking died a quick death when his libido reminded him of just what was wrong with that by filling his mind with mental images of the girls he knew in said bikinis. He had enough problems with the female gender without adding beaches and bikinis to the mix.

"Didn't you pull this stunt on Bruce once?" Xander asked, quirking an eyebrow. He paused and muttered under his breath, "Or has that happened yet...?" He shook it off and looked back up at Ra's, "So, what's your grand scheme this time, old geezer?"

"Silence, infid-!"

WHAM!

Xander glared at Ubu, who he had just punched in the face full-force, "I am really, really getting sick and tired of you. Hell, even the whole dog joke's gotten old by now." He looked up at Ra's and asked mildly, "So, this Ebenezer Darrk guy, he real?"

"Oh, yes," Ra's nodded. "Most assuredly, and his treachery was no deception on my part, merely fortuitous timing. I had, however, disposed of him quite some time ago and subsumed his position, allowing his fellow traitors to believe themselves following his orders while you conveniently eliminated them for me."

"So what is it this time?" Xander asked. "Another plague? Blowing up the Lazarus Pits again? I know it's not nukes -- it'd take out more than just a good chunk of humanity -- so it's gotta be something else." He paused and looked around with a critical eye, "Or are you going to try your hand at chemical warfare this time?"

"Excellent deduction, young soldier, but not correct."

Xander frowned, then his eyes widened as another comic came to the forefront of his memory, "Shit. Tower of Babel." He looked up at Ra's, who was smiling approvingly at him and felt sick to his stomach.

"It was one of the many projects I had Darrk working on when he decided to turn on me," Ra's said. He gestured off the side, "The control panel there is connected to a transmitter on that scrambles the language centers of the brain. Down here and among my many facilities around the world, the effect is cancelled by jammers on those specific frequencies."

Okay, so what else? The Justice League was down to six members, and they had yet to organize the rest into the JLU. Which meant...

"So, how did you plan on stopping the Justice League? By stealing Bruce's contingency plans?" he guessed, recalling the details of that comic story arc.

"No, young soldier, not at all," Ra's replied. "We did it by stealing yours."

Xander's blood suddenly ran cold.

Batman's contingency plans took great care to remain nonlethal. They could cause great pain and suffering, but -- in the short term, at least -- they would not kill.

Xander's contingency plans, on the other hand, were far less gentle. They might not hurt as much, but they were more efficient and more likely to have permanent consequences, dirtier but easier to pull off.

Well, those that he didn't steal from Batman, anyway.

Wait one. Superman with the synthetic kryptonite, Green Lantern with the hypnotic blindness, Wonder Woman with the VR harness, Flash and the vibrating bullet, Martian Manhunter and the magnesium dust...

Oh, well, that was a relief. Those were Batman's contingency plans, which he'd swiped and modified for his own use. Of course, he had more permanent measures available -- like the kryptonite bullets he'd used on Der Ubermensch -- but he'd only ever committed his primary plans to writing.

"So, what'd you do with Bruce?" Xander asked. "He's the only one I never made a plan for... the only one you can't plan for."

Which wasn't entirely true. He did have a plan for taking out Bruce, if necessary. He just never trusted it anywhere beyond his own mind. If he had, he just knew Bruce would find a way to get his hands on it.

It involved any convenient Gothamite social gathering and enough explosives to take out half the city. Oh, and a digital timer programmed to count down very visibly and show one minute and forty-two seconds more than the actual timer. Which would, incidentally, have no digital display and be fifty feet away with the real explosives, rather than a whole lot of clay, and the whole lot would be disguised as something else.

Crude, but it would have worked. It was just a larger application of the same principles he'd used against Slade: You can't outsmart a bomb.

"That would be telling, young soldier."

"I suppose it would," Xander's voice was deceptively calm. Still, he had a plan. He didn't like it, but it was a plan. There was no way he was going to hit Ra's with his Colt .45 at this range.

"You're always so willing to sacrifice the lives of billions of strangers, old man," Xander said, then grabbed Talia, pinning her quickly and pressing the muzzle of his gun to her temple. "But are you willing to sacrifice your own daughter?"

Ra's seemed unperturbed and replied, "That is a question you should ask yourself, young soldier. Would you truly deny your own daughter her very existence?"

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Well, that's definitely something the detective would never do.

Plus, hey, old-school Transformers reference.


	62. 21: Future Flashback 5

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 21: Future Flashback (5/6) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and... heck if I know for Teen Titans, though it's set right after the events of Betrothed.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: The arrival of a future Bat heralds a final confrontation.

Author's Note: Ahh, more fun with Xander's future.

* * *

"You're always so willing to sacrifice the lives of billions of strangers, old man," Xander said, then grabbed Talia, pinning her quickly and pressing the muzzle of his Colt to her temple. "But are you willing to sacrifice your own daughter?"

Ra's seemed unperturbed and replied, "That is a question you should ask yourself, young soldier. Would you truly deny your own daughter her very existence?"

"You're making assumptions, old man," Xander shot back, his grip tightening. "My daughter exists, so she'll always exist. Might not be in this timeline, but she'll always be out there."

"Do you speak from experience?" Ra's asked curiously.

"It's comic book physics," Xander grinned ferally. "Of course I know what I'm talking about. Even you know I'm not exactly from around here." He paused, then added, "It's called Hypertime."

"Perhaps you're right," Ra's acknowledged. He raised a remote, and Xander instantly knew that he had lost control of the situation. Ra's pressed the button, and an opening appeared in the roof near where Ra's stood on the catwalk over the Lazarus Pit. An apparatus lowered itself through the opening, and Xander's blood ran cold.

Strapped to the apparatus was a female figure wearing the unmistakeable black and red future Batsuit.

"As you can see, there's a rather more immediate threat to her existence here, now," Ra's pointed out. "I suspect you are aware that a Lazarus Pit kills anyone young and healthy who falls in one. Could you truly make that sacrifice? Could you murder your daughter's mother before her very eyes? Both of you knowing that, if you do, you have chosen to kill her as well?"

"For God's sake," Xander's voice was ragged. "That's your own granddaughter you're threatening."

Ra's nodded, "Yes. My granddaughter, sired by you, young soldier, and raised by the detective. She is almost a worthy heir, and had things been different, I would have no need of either of you."

It was then that Xander noticed what Batgirl was doing with her hands, unseen by Ra's in front of her. It wasn't anything spectacular, just a complex signal. After a moment, the reality dawned on him.

Everything was going according to plan.

"I am willing to make sacrifices, young soldier. Are you?"

"If I had to," Xander replied calmly, his grip relaxing. "I suppose we have that much in common, old man." He smirked, "But I don't have to... do I, Abs?"

Ra's al Ghul's eyes widened, and he turned, just as Batgirl -- having torn free of the steel cuffs with ease -- leaped to the catwalk next to him. She pulled off the mask, revealing not the time-traveling Tara Wayne, but the dimensionally-displaced Abigail Almadin.

"Hi," the slayer grinned, then punched Ra's in the face.

Meanwhile, Talia spun on Xander, then hesitated, torn between attacking him and... she didn't know what. "What did you do?"

Xander shrugged, "I wasn't buying his disappearance for a minute. I knew something hinky was up, so I made arrangements."

She reached up and brushed his hair back, "You would truly have done it, wouldn't you? You would have killed me if you had to." He looked away. She frowned, "Or would you?"

"If I had to, yes," he said quietly. He looked back at her and shot her a crooked grin, "So I made sure I didn't have to." He placed his hands on her shoulders and said, "Talia, you have a choice to make. He's right. I'm from another world, and because I am, I've seen what would happen in the future if not for me. He'll take everything from you, if you let him."

Talia shrugged his hands off and looked away, "He is my father. He gave me everything I have."

"Not everything," Xander said quietly. "Not your soul. And that's what he'll take. If you let him. Look at me, Talia. Am I lying?"

Up on the catwalk, the fight wasn't going quite like either had expected. Ra's was a master swordsman. That this young woman would be able to match him with with the railing section she'd torn off was... remarkable. On the other hand, Abbey was a slayer, chosen to kick demonic ass and chew bubblegum. That somehow, this old geezer was able to keep up, despite the Batsuit's enhanced strength, had to be nothing short of a miracle.

Slayers had the skill of millenia, trained to fight to the death against all sorts of nasty critters, but those nasty critters tended to rely on brute force, rather than skill. Moreover, those skills were instinctive, subconscious, on a level where only the most basic tactics were even considered.

Ra's al Ghul was a true master swordsman. While his experience was eclipsed by the skills resting within the slayer spirit, his skills were fully realized, with a clarity slayers lacked. They had been honed against foes of all sorts of different skill levels, and they were now coupled with a brilliant mind directing each move.

In the end, they were surprisingly well-matched, particularly when one factored in one other major factor. Slayers were created to defend humanity against vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness.

They weren't created to defend humanity against itself.

Whether it was the slayer spirit, millenia of Watcher brainwashing, or Xander's own training, the results were the same: Abbey, for all her skill, strength, and other abilities... was holding back.

Because, centuries old or not, Ra's al Ghul was human.

And humans were off-limits.

Which is why Ra's al Ghul's sword was able to slip past Abbey's guard and slice through the Batsuit, skittering across her ribs as she twisted to lessen the blow. At that moment, however, Ra's turned toward his daughter, who was heading toward the Babel device.

"Talia!" he called, the name a command.

She whirled, "It ends now, Father."

WHAM!

Ra's was blindsided by the punch, and he flipped over the catwalk and into the Lazarus Pit below.

Xander turned, and he saw an opportunity. In a flash, he had divested himself of his explosives, armed them, and hurled them into the Lazarus Pit.

"GET CLEAR!"

Nobody argued.

When the dust settled, Xander looked over at Abbey, "Where's Tara? And the other Titans?"

"Cleaning house," she replied, pressing her hand to her side. "It's a big complex. And lemme tell ya, that kid of yours is scary. Knows more martial arts than I can name."

"Did you really think you could kill me the same way you killed Slade, young soldier?"

The three turned. Ra's al Ghul emerged from the Lazarus Pit, eyes practically aglow with rage. He looked twenty years younger than he had a moment ago, compact muscles defining his body as he stepped toward them, his broken sword in hand.

"He was an excellent student, but a student nonetheless."

Xander blinked, "You trained him?"

"Yes," Ra's nodded. "One of my few failures. I still remember when I first met him. He was young and raw with hatred, thirsting for revenge."

"What happened?"

"He chose his own path. He proved less than ideal anyway. Too focused to see the bigger picture." His gaze swept over to the horrified Talia, "It would appear you have chosen another path as well, Talia. Why have you betrayed me?"

"Because..." she hesitated, then raised her head defiantly, "...because Xander has proven himself a better father than you."

"Huh?" Xander blinked. _Where did that come from?_

Ra's, apparently, wasn't in any mood for debating what she meant by that as he growled, "I see." With that, he charged.

A backhanded slash opened up Abbey's arm, and she stumbled back. Slayer toughness or no, that hurt. Xander lunged, shoving Talia out of the way just before the strike landed, carving deeply into his left shoulder instead of her chest.

He sent a weak backhand at Ra's with his left, followed by a right cross, but Ra's didn't even seem to notice. He crab-legged away from Ra's's furious swings -- each strong enough to carve away portions of the cavern's stone floor -- and looked frantically, searching for his Colt .45, when suddenly, a gunshot rang out.

Ra's blinked in surprise as blood blossomed from his chest.

Xander turned and idly saw the other Titans entering the room. But that wasn't what had his attention.

It was his daughter, Tara.

And his Colt, clutched shakily in her hands.

Talia gently took the gun from her daughter and turned. "Goodbye... Father," she raised the gun and emptied it into Ra's's chest... then sank to her knees.

Ignoring the pain from his shoulder, Xander crawled over and pulled Talia into a hug with one arm and Tara with the other.

"Shh," he murmured, "it's all right."

From afar, the Titans watched for a moment before Robin gave orders to evacuate the wounded.

* * *

Author's Postscript:

Well, they beat the bad guy.


	63. 21: Future Flashback 6

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 21: Future Flashback (6/6) 

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and... heck if I know for Teen Titans, though it's set right after the events of Betrothed.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: The arrival of a future Bat heralds a final confrontation.

Author's Note: Ahh, more fun with Xander's future.

* * *

It was a somber group that returned to Titans' Tower. A bunch of exhausted teenaged superheroes accompanying a grieving woman in her twenties who suddenly felt lost and adrift with the loss of her father.

It was an odd reversal of what one might expect.

The fact that the woman in her twenties hadn't left -- or been left by -- Nighthawk irked a few of the females, but given what she had just done, nobody begrudged her. At least openly.

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you like, Talia," Xander said, ignoring the glares his offer had earned him.

"Truly?" Talia asked, looking at him in disbelief.

"Of course," he replied. "Talia, whatever happens, you can always come to me. I won't promise I can help, but I will listen. I promise you that much."

This promise elicited several emotions from those present: From Talia, it elicited relief and some small sense of joy; from Jinx, Raven, and Starfire, it elicited annoyance; from Robin, it elicited a sense of impending doom.

* * *

"You're sure about this?" Xander asked. It had been four days since the eventful confrontation with Ra's al Ghul, and the three of them -- Xander, Talia, and Tara -- had spent those four days together, practically excluding the other Titans from their activities completely.

"Yes," Talia nodded. "I must go."

"To Gotham," he nodded understandingly. "To him." He mentally kicked himself when he realized how that sounded.

She lowered her eyes, "Yes."

"Well," he smiled, "good luck. What are you waiting for?"

"To bid our daughter farewell," she replied. "I... do not expect to return soon, and I suspect she will be leaving soon as well. Oof!" The last was caused by the blurring tackle hug that their aforementioned daughter launched herself into.

Tara pulled back and smiled, "I'll miss you, Mom."

"I..." Talia's voice caught in her throught. "I shall miss you too, Tahra."

* * *

As they returned to the Tower after seeing Talia's plane off, Tara sighed, "I suppose I should be going too. I can't just keep putting it off forever."

"What's wrong with that?" Xander quipped. "It's not like the future won't be there when you go."

"Daaad," she smacked his arm and glared.

"Okay, okay," he surrendered. "But seriously, what'll happen to you when you go?" Xander asked. "With Ra's dead..."

"I don't know," Tara shook her head. "I could cease to exist the moment I went back, I could end up going to an unchanged future, or maybe I'll find myself in an alternate future I don't remember. Time travel's a tricky thing." She sighed, "I just wanted to get to know you, Daddy, not change history."

"Well," he suggested, "you could..."

"No," she cut him off. "I have to go. I have to try. My friends... my family's there."

"...all right," he accepted, pulling her into a hug.

"Thanks, Dad," she smiled, hugging him back and fighting off tears.

"So..." Xander said, after a long moment, "...who is he?"

Tara blinked, "Huh?"

"I know that look, Tara," he smirked. "There's a guy. So who is he?"

"DAD!"

"All right, all right," he said, waving it off. He turned serious, "Just one thing."

"Yeah?"

"You know how I fight. You know I shoot to kill."

Tara rolled her eyes, "Daaaad..."

"This isn't about your mystery guy, Tara," he said, shaking his head. "All I want to say is... don't be like me; don't be a killer. I cross that line so others don't have to. What happened with Ra's... that couldn't be helped. And it'll haunt you for a long time. If you ever need to talk, I'll be listening."

"All right, Dad."

He shot her a faint smile, "And hey, if it does turn out to be a changed future, look us up."

"Will do," she grinned. "Bye, Daddy."

* * *

Tara tumbled out of the time portal, tucking into a roll and crouch. She shook her head and looked around, then blinked in surprise as she realized she was not alone.

There were two girls about her age in the alley. The first stood about her height, with a slim build, a slightly pale complexion, and brown eyes. Her medium-length brown hair tied into a pair of twin ponytails, and she was wearing a dark grey spandex jumpsuit with a short cape. Suspicious angles suggested armor plating underneath.

The other also had a slender build and brown eyes, but her eyes were slitted like a cat's. Her shock of pink hair reached to her mid-back in a simple braid. With a start, Tara realized she was wearing the same kind of black-leotard-and-blue-hooded-cloak combo that Raven favored.

"Hello, Tara," the brunette said. "We've been expecting you."

"Who are you?" she asked suspiciously.

The pink-haired one spoke first, "I am Nightwitch, this is Nightbird, aka Dawn and Willow. We are your sisters."

"Half sisters," Nightbird corrected. "We've got different mothers. My mom's Raven."

"And mine is Jinx. Come, the Waynes already know about you. Adoption papers were drawn up in case you showed up."

Tara blinked, stunned. "And your mothers never killed each other?" she finally sputtered.

Nightbird chuckled, "Yeah, will wonders never cease?"

"Can we waste time somewhere else?" Nightwitch scowled.

Nightbird rolled her eyes, "Our sister, the spoilsport."

* * *

Author's Postscript:

There, the epilogue and tie-up of the newest episode.

I had hopes for so much more in this episode, but... it didn't quite work out, and it's already about twice the size of the average episode as it is. So the main plot stayed in, and side plots like the Titan girls' reactions and Tara's screentime had to go.

Watch for the next episode, with some very special guest stars.


	64. 22: The Out of Towners 0

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 22: The Out of Towners (0/?)

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and... Betrothed for Teen Titans, though it's set around the time of Crash. Also some spoilers for JLU: For the Man Who Has Everything.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: The Titans find themselves with visitors from out of town. Wayyy out of town.

Author's Note: Special guest star appearances!

* * *

Xander was in the ops center. He was tuning out the sounds around him and testing his memory, mentally recalling all the various contingencies, fallbacks, and emergency plans he'd been trying to memorize in the days since Talia and their daughter had departed.

The problem with his contingencies was that there were just so damn many of them. With over fifty superpowered heroes and costumed vigilantes of all sorts running around -- almost all of whom had unique strengths and weaknesses -- simply devising the fallback plans had taken him months. Memorizing all of them had been a task too daunting to consider until now, after having had the folly of having copies of them anywhere outside his brain smacked in his face. Up until now, only the "lethal force" backup plans and the plans against those he most suspected would be able to find and counter his plans had been committed to his memory alone.

It was an oversight he was attempting to correct, but it would take a lot of time and even more effort.

He had just finished reviewing the plan to deal with Captain Atom when he realized the room had gone silent. He opened his eyes and looked around, finally fixing on the figure hovering outside the window.

"Hey, guys," Supergirl waved.

"..." went Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Robin.

"!!!" came from the female Titans.

Xander blinked. "Ka- uhh... Supergirl? What brings you here?" he asked as he rushed over and opened the window.

"Was in the neighborhood," she said, floating in and landing. "Thought I'd say 'hi'... and maybe have that dinner you mentioned, Nighthawk?"

"You... know Supergirl?" Robin broke in with a strangled gurgle.

Xander looked at him and saw the death glares directed at him from all the other Titans. He blinked again.

"Yeah," he said dumbly, "I ran into her on the way back from escorting Joker and Harley back to Gotham. Um, I'm sure I mentioned this. I must have."

"No, you didn't," chorused three voices: Raven, Jinx, and Starfire. They stopped abruptly, and Jinx glared at Raven and Starfire, who both glared back.

For her part, Raptor was leaning back on the couch and watching, a huge grin on her face.

"Hey!" Beast Boy cried out as Terra yanked on his ear.

She glowered at him, "It's rude to stare."

"Xa-... Nighthawk," Starfire broke in, "what is this about 'dinner' you mentioned with her, and not with me?"

"Uh, Star, it's not like that..."

"It isn't?" Supergirl pouted, much to Xander's chagrin. "So, does this mean you're not gonna spank me?"

Several eyes twitched. The dead silence of the room was broken by Raptor's not-so-muffled snickering.

And one thump as Terra smacked Beast Boy with a rolled up newspaper before dragging him out by the ear.

"We'll be in our bunk," she called back as she manhandled the protesting shapeshifter. Who, at the announcement, suddenly stopped struggling quite so much.

Raptor, on the other hand, simply got comfortable for the show. There was no way she was going to miss this. Someone needed to keep the Boss on his toes.

Robin was just too stunned for words. He was pretty sure even Bruce might crack a smile at this one.

"Hmm," Raven mused, cocking an eyebrow suggestively at him.

"What is this 'spanking'?" Starfire asked innocently. "Is it a sign of affection? Perhaps you would give me a 'spanking,' friend Nighthawk?"

"Aww," Jinx pouted as she slinked up against Xander. "I've been a baaad girl," she whispered, stroking his jawline. "If anyone here deserves a spanking, it's me."

With that, Xander fled, diving out the window that Kara had flown in through. Shrieks and gasps echoed as everyone in the room bolted for the window.

They found him dangling upside-down like a bat -- or more accurately, like Spiderman -- just under the window.

"What?" he blinked at them. "I'm crazy, not suicidal." With that, he loosened the grapple-line and plummeted, running along the side of Titans' Tower until he vanished into an open window.

"Where'd he learn to do that?" Cyborg blinked.

All eyes turned toward Robin.

"Hey, don't look at me."

* * *

"To be honest, I did come here for a reason," Supergirl told the collected Titans. "One that isn't entirely personal," she amended, winking at Xander. "As I'm sure you're aware," she said, "the Justice League has recently expanded its membership. The new Watchtower has just come online, and I'm here with an offer.

"How would you like to join the Justice League Unlimited?"

* * *

Author's Postscript:

How's that for a teaser?

Unfortunately, my muse still has not returned to this story, but I felt obligated to release something for this one. Expect to be hanging off this cliff even longer than usual.


	65. 22: The Out of Towners 1

Title: The Nighthawk Chronicles 22: The Out of Towners (1/?)

Author: Cyclone

Feedback: Please be gentle.

Distribution: Gimme credit and a link.

Rating: Maybe a little harsh language, certainly some violence, but nothing worse than on BtVS.

Spoilers: Up to Chosen for BtVS and... Betrothed for Teen Titans, though it's set around the time of Crash. Also some spoilers for JLU: For the Man Who Has Everything.

Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Summary: The Titans find themselves with visitors from out of town. Wayyy out of town.

Author's Note: Special guest star appearances!

* * *

"No."

"'No'?" Supergirl blinked in disbelief.

"No," Xander repeated firmly. "Sorry, but I've never been that fond of having people tell me who and what to protect."

"Would that be such a bad thing, though? You wouldn't have to wing it anymore-"

"And then I'd always have one of them watching over my shoulder," he said, "stopping me from doing what needs to be done when it needs to be done." He met the Argoan's gaze and said, "I will **not** have someone dictating to me the places and people that my life is worth risking for."

Without looking, Xander added, "And Star, don't try changing my mind. You either, Raven."

Cyborg leaned over at Robin as the two girls closed their mouths in surprise. "How'd he do that?" he murmured.

Robin shrugged.

"You can go ahead and handle all the cosmic menaces and out-of-control nuclear war machines you want," Xander said. "I'm going to stay here and keep the crooks running scared of a forty-five in the night. Green Arrow can keep you guys grounded just fine." He shrugged, "Besides, someone's got to handle the second-stringers. It's what I'm best at."

"Wait. 'Out-of-control nuclear war machines'?" Supergirl repeated. She flushed and squeaked, "You **heard** about that? How did you find out? We didn't tell anyone, and the Chong-Mai government put a media blackout on the whole thing."

"I have my ways," he shrugged.

Robin looked between them, "What are you two talking about?"

"Never mind," Supergirl shook her head. She looked at the others, "What about the rest of you?"

"I don't think the offer really extends to me," Jinx said, shaking her head. "I'm... kinda new to the team."

"The offer's open to all Titans," Supergirl said. "Including you."

"Oh..."

"I'll have to think about it," Robin said.

"Me too," Cyborg nodded.

"Mm-hmm."

"Yeah."

Aside from Xander, the consensus was unanimous: They needed time to think it over.

* * *

"Hey, Bats."

Batman looked at the Flash and tilted his head. They were in the Watchtower, and Batman was actually just about to leave. Things had been tense in the Watchtower since the League -- just before opening membership worldwide -- had been taken down by Ra's al Ghul, using plans that Batman had conceived, just in case. They still didn't know what had happened, but Batman had his suspicions.

"Where's Supergirl?" the scarlet speedster asked.

"Why?"

The Flash shrugged, "Well, with that break-out in Metropolis, I figured she'd be there. I mean, it's Supes's birthday, so I get why he's not there, but what about Supergirl?"

"She's on a mission."

"Mission? What mission?"

"To recruit the Titans."

The Flash blinked, then frowned and muttered, "Oh, guess I'll have to update the odds..."

"Oh?" Batman's eyebrow rose slightly.

The Flash flushed, "Uh, you know. The odds. On Nighthawk."

"Oh?" the eyebrow went a little higher. Batman seemed to loom a little more.

"On all the girls who have been expressing interest in him?" the Flash stammered as he shrank back.

"Oh."

"Um," the Flash said, "if that'll be all, I'm outta here."

"Wait."

The speedster froze in the doorway and turned, cringing slightly as Batman approached him, reaching into his utility belt.

"Hold out your hand."

"Yessir," the Flash acquiesced, closing his eyes. He felt something press into his hand.

"Twenty on Raven."

The Flash blinked and stared at the two twenty-dollar bills in his hand. "Uh, and the other twenty?" he asked dumbly.

"On Jinx."

With that and a billowing swirl of his cape, the dark knight was gone.

* * *

Batman's immediate destination was the command center, where J'onn was monitoring Justice League operations.

"Situation?" he asked.

"Only one escapee has eluded pursuit," J'onn said, bringing up the file. "Edward Lytener, aka Luminous. He's also apparently reacquired his equipment from police impound. I have Doctor Light and Obsidian patrolling Metropolis for him."

The Dr. Light J'onn was speaking of was Kimiyo Hoshi, who by unfortunate coincidence, shared a codename and similar costume design with the bungling villain who occasionally harassed Jump City.

"What about Stargirl?" Batman prompted. "Her cosmic rod should be able to affect light."

"She's been promised a solo mission next," J'onn replied. "Or at least one without adult supervision. I have her on standby in case Luminous appears elsewhere."

"Good enough."

"Will you and Wonder Woman be informing Superman?"

"It's his birthday, J'onn," Batman replied. "He deserves at least one day off."

* * *

Kara leaned forward, her elbows on the table, her chin resting on her hands, gazing across the restaurant table at Xander.

"This is **not** what I had in mind," she complained.

Xander looked at her helplessly and then at the other occupants of the table. Raven sat at his left, Jenny -- that is, Jinx -- on his right, and Kori one down from Raven, leaving an unoccupied seat between Jenny and Kara.

"I'm still wondering how I got roped into this," he muttered.

"Because you love us?" Jenny suggested, batting her eyes sweetly.

"Because you have a functional survival instinct?" Raven deadpanned.

"Wu wike ush?" mumbled Kori through a mouthful of food.

"Make way, girls," a chillingly familiar voice called as its owner slid into the empty seat. Blackfire smiled at him, "Hi, there, handsome."

The room exploded.

* * *

Three travelers landed in the middle of what looked like a warzone. The street was wrecked, windows were shattered, cars were overturned, and a few fires blazed merrily away.

Warrior barely had time to register that before he was tackled, arms wrapping around him and... yes, those were definitely breasts pressed against his chest. While not necessarily a bad thing, it did raise a question: What the hell was going on?

"Hi, handsome," his assailant whispered huskily.

Warrior was a Green Lantern, the Green Lantern of Sector 2814 of his universe. His power ring, like all Green Lantern power rings, relied on willpower to work. The confusion and the sudden surge of hormones made concentrating a little difficult.

That is, until the sexy brunette looked over her shoulder and called out, "You can keep that one, as long as this one's **mine!**"

"Way to go, War!" Warrior's companion, Superboy, cheered, then leaned over to her. "Do you have a sister?"

"Sure," she purred. She nodded to the side, "The redhead."

Superboy pivoted like a weather vane.

_Redhead, redhead, redhead..._ he thought, scanning the horizon. _Hmm, Raven, Supergirl, some Batman-wannabe, a chick with pink hair, and..._

"**Starfire?!**" he sputtered. Then he looked at the brunette again, pointing weakly at her, "But... but... that would mean... you're..."

"Her name's Komand'r," an amused voice supplied. That was the Batman-wannabe, a part of Superboy's mind noted. "Or you can call her Blackfire. She's wanted by the Centauri police for **quite** a list of felonies, mostly grand theft."

The third traveler, Buffy, stared. The voice clicked, and several things fell into place. She opened her mouth... then shut it as the darkly-clad native superhero gently touched a finger to her lips.

"Hiya, Buff," Nighthawk grinned. "Long time, no see." He looked at Warrior, "Hi, me."

Warrior frowned, remembering the **last** world he'd been to, "You're not a vampire are you?"

"No," Nighthawk quipped, "I just dress like one."

* * *

Patrick Dugan -- behind the helmet of the S.T.R.I.P.E. suit -- glared at Flash's book on that new kid, Nighthawk. He loomed over the scarlet speedster menacingly, "All right, Flash, what's the big idea, putting odds on Stargirl? And only at three to one against? She hasn't even **met** the guy."

"Hey," Flash replied, holding up his hands helplessly, "I **had** to set odds when someone placed a bet. Considering who it was, I figured I ought to fudge the odds a bit."

Pat frowned. Now, who in the Justice League would bet on...

His eyes widened in realization, and he turned and thundered toward the teleporters.

"COURTNEYYY!"

* * *

Author's Postscript:

For those who don't get the joke, Pat Dugan's stepdaughter is Stargirl, aka Courtney Whitmore.

And for those who don't know what's going on with Warrior, Superboy, and Buffy, read Cobra's Journey of a Hero: Hypertension. Of course, you should probably read the earlier JoH 'fics first, which I would strongly recommend anyway, as they are excellent stories. You'll find him in my list of Favorite Authors.


End file.
